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"The   Dead  of  the   Synod  of  Georgia." 


NECROLOGY:  A^ 


MEMORIALS  OF  DECEASED  MINISTERS, 

who  have  died  during  the  first 

twenty  years  after  its 

organization. 

Prepared  in  Obedience  to  the  Order  of  the  Synod. 


HISTORICAL    INTRODUCTION. 


JOHN  S.WILSON,  D.D., 

PASTOR  OF  THE  FIRST  PRESBYTKRIAN  CHUECH,  ATLANTA,  GEORGIA. 


The  memory  of  the  Just  is  blessed. — Pro  v.  x:  7. 


KR,  A-ISTKLIN"     PR,IN"TIN"GJ-     HOUSE, 

J.  J.  TOON,  PROPRIETOR. 

1869. 


Entered  according  to  act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1867,  by 

JOHN  S.  AVILSON,  D.  D., 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  for  the  Northern  District  of  Georgia, 


OONTEN  TS. 


Preface ^ 

Presbyterianism — Origin  of  in  the  United  States. 7 

Presbyterianism  in  Georgia H 

Hopewell  Presbytery.  16 

Original  Members — Notices  of 17 

John  Brown,  D.  D 20 

Robert  Finley,  D.  D 31 

Moses  Waddel,  D.  D     24 

Georgia  Education  Society 29 

Domestic  Missionary  Society '^^ 

Protracted  Meetings. ...    '^^ 

Formula  of  xldmission 45 

Presbytery  of  Georgia '^1 

Presbytery  of  Flint  River 56 

Presbytery  of  FL  rida 61 

PresV)ytery  of  Cherokee 61 

Presbytery  of  Atlanta 64 

Presbytery  of  Macon 65 

Synod  of  Georgia 66 

NECROLOGY. 

Rev.  Joseph  Young  Alexander 71 

Rev.  Donald  John  Auld,  M.  D 78 

Rev.  Benjamin   Burroughs 85 

Rev.  Samuel  Jonea  Cassels ^1 

Rev.  Remembrance  Chamberlain ••  •  99 

Rev.  Alonzo  Cluucli,  D.  D 100 

Rev.  Benjamin  D.  DuPrce 1=^4 

Rev.  George  Claudius  Fleming 138 

Rev.  Thomas  Goukliug,  D.  D 140 

Rev.  John  Harrison 14; 

Rev.  Richard  Hooker  14*J 


II.  CON'J'BNTS. 

Rev.  John  C.  Hvimplirey 165 

Rev.  Jes.sc  Hume 172 

Rev.  Daniel  Ingles 179 

Rev.  Charles  Colcock  Jones,  D.  D 185 

Rev.  George  Whilfielcl  Ladson   ' 213 

Rev.  Andrew  Rutherford  Liddell. 225 

Rev.  RicliJird  T.  Marks 229 

Rev.  William  Mathews  . . 239 

Rev.  William  Mc Whir,D.  D 243 

Rev.  RicJiard  A.ndrew  Milner 251 

Rev.  W.  N.  Peacock   254 

Rev.  Robert  Quartermau 255 

Rev.  Joseph  Melancthon  Quarterman 263 

Rev.  Lucius  A.  Simonton 266 

Rev.  Joseph  B.  Stevens 269 

Rev.  John  Wilson  Reid 273 

Rf-v.  Samuel  Kennedy  Talmage,  D.  D 283 

Rev.  Nathan  Hoyt,  D.  D 293 

Rev.  Washington  Baird 320 

Rev.  Isaac  Watts  Waddel 327 

Rev.  Peter  Winn 331 

R(;v.  Edwin  T.  Williams 354 


PREFACE. 


The  work  now  presented  to  the  public  was  undertaken  in 
accordance  with  the  following  action  of  the  Synod  of  Georgia, 
at  its  session  at  Athens  in  November,  1863,  to-wit : 

"The  Committee  of  Bills  and  Owrfwre*  presented  Overture 
No.  2,  as  follows  : 

THE  DEAD  OF  THE  SYNOD  OF  GEOHGIA. 

•"■  That  whereas,  the  next  Annual  Convocation  of  this  Synod 
will  be  the  twentieth  year  since  its  organization — the  fifth  of 
a  century ;  and  whereas,  nearly  thirty  of  its  members  have 
deceased  during  that  period :  It  is  proposed  that  the  Synod 
do  appoint,  at  its  present  Sessions,  some  person  or  persons  to 
prepare  memorials  of  our  departed  brethren,  embracing  not 
only  the  facts  contained  in  the  Biographical  Sketches  found 
in  the  Minutes  of  the  Synod,  but  such  other  facts  as  may  be 
collected  from  those  who  knew  them  best  in  relation  to  their 
religious  life,  ministry,  and  general  character ;  and  that  such 
memorials,  when  prepared,  be  printed  for  general  circulation, 
or  be  preserved  for  the  present  among  the  archives  of  the 
Synod. 

"The  Overture  was  adopted,  and  the  Rev.  John  S.  Wilson, 
D.D.,  as  Principal,  and  the  Rev.  N.  A.  Pratt,  D.D.,  as 
Alternate,  were  appointed  to  carry  the  Overture  into  effect." 

Four  years  have  elapsed  since  the  above  Overture  was 
adopted.  The  war  was  raging  at  the  time ;  mail  facilities 
were  cut  off;  I  was  driven  from  my  home  during  parts  of 
1864  and  1865  ;  my  books  and  papers  were  mostly  destroyed, 
being  burned  by  the  enemy.  Little  was  accomplished  towards 
forwarding  the  work  until  the  summer  of  1865 ;  and  then 


4  PREFACE. 

the  business  of  collecting  the  materials  was  exceedingly  slow. 
A  correspondence  had  to  be  instituted,  extending  from  New- 
Orleans  to  New  Haven.  In  many  cases,  it  required  months 
to  ascertain  the  person  best  qualified  to  furnish  the  desired 
information.  Although  the  work  is  less  pretentious  than 
some  others  of  a  similar  character,  yet  doubtless  it  has  cost 
more  labor,  and  been  attended  with  much  more  difficulty 
than  they,  owing  to  the  fact  that  many  of  these  memorials 
are  of  persons  little  known  beyond  the  immediate  sphere  of 
their  labors.  It  has  been  my  object  to  trace  out  as  minutely 
as  possible  the  early  and  private  history  of  each  individual, 
as  far  as  reliable  information  could  be  obtained.  In  many 
instances  I  have  failed  to  accomplish  all  I  could  desire, 
since  no  one  could  be  found  who  was  acquainted  with  their 
early  life. 

I  was  led  to  think  of  preparing  such  a  work  when  reading 
"  Sprague's  Annals  of  the  American  Pulpit,"  which  contains 
only  "commemorative  notices  of  distinguished  American 
clergymen."  It  occurred  to  me  that  a  work,  embracing  not 
only  the  more  distinguished,  but  the  more  humble  and 
obscure,  was  desirable,  since  many  a  gem  of  purest  ray  oft 
lies  hid  in  the  rubbish  of  the  mine.  Hence  the  Overture 
presented  to  the  Synod,  and  the  result  now  given  to  the 
public. 

It  will  be  readily  perceived  that  I  have  been  largely 
indebted  to  others  (whose  names  are  given  in  the  margin,  so 
far  as  could  be  ascertained)  for  much  of  the  matter  compri- 
sing the  work. 

It  occurred  to  me  that  some  brief  account  of  the  origin 
and  progress  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  Georgia  would 
constitute  a  suitable  introduction  to  the  Necrology  of  the 
Synod. 

This  has  been  prepared  from  such  material  as  came  to 
hand,  principally  from  the  records  of  the  Presbyteries.  I 
once  had  a  considerable  mass  of  facts  for  such  a  work ;  but 


PREFACE. 


they  were  destroyed,  and  are  now  irretrievably  lost.  What 
is  here  published  may  be  of  use  to  some  future  chronicler  of 
our  Church  in  this  State. 

I  can  only  express  the  hope  that  the  Synod  of  Georgia 
will  continue  to  collect  and  preserve  full  memorials  of  her 
dead,  as  they  may  be  called  away  from  their  labors.  Such 
a  work  would  constitute  a  noble  monument,  honorable  to  the 
dead  and  useful  to  the  living.     Man  sighs  for  immortality. 

J.  S.  W. 

Atlanta,  April,  1869. 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH  IN  GEORGIA, 


As  an  Introduction  to  the  following  "  Memorials  of  the 
Dead  of  the  Synod  of  Georgia,"  I  propose  to  write  a  short 
sketch  of  the  early  founding  and  progress  of  the  Presbyte- 
rian  Church  in  this  State. 

Presbyterianism  in  the  United  States  was  evidently  of 
Scottish  origin.  About  the  time  of  the  accession  of  William 
and  Mary,  1688,  Presbyterians  began  to  emigrate  from 
Scotland  and  Ireland  to  the  American  Colonies  in  consider- 
able numbers.  Yet,  after  all,  the  origin  of  Presbyterianism 
in  the  United  States  is  involved  in  considerable  obscurity. 
We  have  no  distinct  account  of  the  arrival  of  the  first  Pres- 
byterians on  this  Continent ;  that  they  were,  however,  among 
the  earliest  emigrants  from  the  Old  World,  there  is  no  doubt. 
As  early  as  1633,  the  Presbyterians  and  Independents  were 
driven  from  Virginia  by  oppressive  laws  enacted  by  its  Leg- 
islature, establishing  Episcopalianisra.*  They  were,  however, 
scattered  through  the  Middle  States  for  nearly  half  a  century, 
with  few  ministers  and  no  bond  of  union.  They  first  settled 
in  Pennsylvania,  Maryland  and  Rhode  Island,  because  the 
Quakers,  Catholics  and  Baptists  extended  a  cordial  welcome 
to  emigrants,  which  was  refused  by  Episcopalians  and  Puri- 
tans. We  know,  however,  that  long  before  the  Puritans 
touched  the  Rock  of  Plymouth,  there  were  Presbyterians  in 
the  land  in  sufficient  numbers  to  become  the  objects  of  perse- 
cution. 

Before  the  close  of  the  seventeenth  century,  there  were 
Presbyterian  Churches  in  Maryland,  to-wit:  Rehoboth,  Snow 
Hill,  Upper  Marlborough,  and  others.     The  first  named  was 

*See  Marsh  Eccl.  Hist,  392,  393,  397. 


8  PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH   IN    GEORGIA. 

probably  the  oldest,  and  was  formed  some  time  anterior  to 
1690.  There  were  Churches,  also,  in  Freehold  and  Wood- 
bridge,  N.  J.,  constituted  in  1692 ;  and  the  first  Church  in 
Philadelphia  in  1698.  Churches  in  New  Castle,  Delaware, 
and  Charleston,  S.  C,  were  founded  at>  an  early  day. 

The  first  Presbyterian  minister  who  came  to  this  country, 
of  whom  we  have  any  distinct  account,  was  the  Rev.  Francis 
MaKeinie.  He  settled  in  Maryland  in  1682,  and  spent 
two  or  three  years  as  the  minister  in  Lynnhaven  Parish,  Va. 
He  subsequently  fixed  his  abode  in  Accomac  county,  Va., 
where  he  died  in  1708.  At  the  time  of  his  decease,  there 
were  two  organized  Churches  in  that  county.  MaKemie  was 
an  Irishman,  a  man  of  great  ability  and  profound  piety,  and 
may  be  regarded  as  the  father  of  Presbyterianism  in  this 
country. 

The  first  Presbytery  was  organized  in  Philadelphia  in 
1704.  It  consisted  of  seven  ministers,  to-wit :  Francis 
MaKemie,  John  Hampton,  George  McNish,  Samuel  Davis, 
Nathaniel  Taylor,  John  Wilson,  and  Jedediah  Andrews. 
The  first  five  were  from  Ireland,  the  sixth  from  Scotland, 
and  the  seventh  from  New  England.  The  first  person 
ordained  by  the  Presbytery  was  John  Boyd,  in  1706.  In 
1716,  the  Presbytery  consisted  of  seventeen  ministers.  In 
that  year  it  was  divided  into  four  Presbyteries,  namely : 
Philadelphia,  New  Castle,  Snow  Hill,  and  Long  Island, 
constituting  the  Synod  of  Philadelphia,  which  held  its  first 
meeting  in  Philadelphia  in  September,  1717.  This  Synod 
constituted  the  bond  of  union  between  the  Churches  until 
1741.  In  it,  however,  from  the  beginning,  there  was  not 
perfect  harmony.  This  dissatisfaction  continued  to  grow 
until  in  that  year  it  was  rent  asunder  and  the  Synod  of  New 
York  was  formed.  The  Congregational  element  in  the 
Synod  led  to  this  schism.  The  inharmoniousness  of  the 
body,  which  existed  from  the  beginning,  was  greatly  in- 
creased by  the  act  of  1729,  adopting  the  Westminster  Con- 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH  IN  GEORGIA.         Q, 

fession  of  Faith  as  containing  the  symbols  of  the  faith  and 
polity  of  the  Churches,  and  requiring  every  one  entering  its 
ministry  to  subscribe  to  it.  The  Oongregationalists,  who 
were  in  a  minority,  were  very  far  from  cordially  approving 
this  proceeding,  and  for  many  years  thereafter  contention 
ran  high. 

The  old  Presbyterians  were  in  favor  of  a  strict  Presbyte- 
rianism,  and  were  great  advocates  for  a  learned  ministry. 
Oongregationalists  then,  as  now,  cared  very  little  about  rigid 
doctrinal  forms,  and  were  willing  to  receive  men  into  the 
ministry  of  every  shade  of  opinion,  and  with  or  without 
learning,  provided  they  gave  some  good  evidence  of  personal 
piety. 

The  dissension  in  the  Synod  was  greatly  aggravated  by 
the  coming  of  Mr.  Whitfield  in  1739.  Between  the  old  and 
new  side,  as  they  were  called,  the  contest  became  fiery. 
"  Personal  rancor  appears  to  have  operated  strongly  on  the 
minority."  The  Presbytery  of  New  Brunswick  regarded 
the  adopting  act  as  bearing  solely  upon  them,  depriving  them 
of  the  power  of  taking  up  whatever  candidates  they  pleased. 
They  protested  again  and  again,  but  without  avail.  The 
majority  held  firmly  to  the  doctrinal  standards  they  had 
adapted.     A  division  of  the  Synod  was  the  result. 

Congregationalism  and  Presbyterianism  are  antagonistic 
systems,  and  every  attempt  to  amalgamate  or  unite  them  has 
produced  a  revulsion.  The  history  of  the  Plan  of  Union^ 
entered  into  between  Congregationalists  and  Presbyterians 
in  1801,  is  proof  direct  and  positive  of  this  fact.  It  resulted 
in  the  division  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  1838.  Con- 
gregationalism is  a  hot  bed,  from  whence  springs  up  a  luxu- 
riant crop  of  isms  and  errors.  Having  no  common  standard 
of  faith,  nor  bond  of  union,  requiring  a  uniform  subscription 
of  those  entering  its  ministry,  each  ecclesiastical  body  may 
iidopt  its  own  formula,  whether  it  be  the  Westminster  Con- 
fession, the  Saybrook  Platform.,  or  any  other  system  it  may 


10  PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH    IN   GEORGIA. 

fancy.  Hence  the  theology  of  the  New  England  Churches 
has  presented  an  appearance,  doctrinally,  not  very  unlike 
Jacob's  cattle — ring-streaked,  speckled  and  spotted. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  Synod  of  New  York  was  in  1745. 
The  two  Synods  continued  in  their  separate  organizations 
till  1758,  when  a  re-union  was  effected.  They  agreed  to 
unite  in  one  body  under  the  name  and  style  of  the  Synod  of 
New  York  and  Philadelphia,  and  to  receive  "  the  Westmin- 
ster Confession  of  Faith  and  Larger  and  Shorter  Catechisms 
as  an  orthodox  and  excellent  system  of  Christian  doctrine, 
founded  on  the  word  of  God,  and  to  adhere  to  the  plan  of 
worship,  government  and  discipline  contained  in  the.  West- 
minster Directory."  *  All  their  former  differences  were 
declared  to  be  laid  aside  and  buried,  and  any  one  bringing 
them  up  again  was  declared  to  be  deemed  censurable — guilty 
of  a  breach  of  this  agreement,  to  be  refused  and  rebuked 
accordingly. 

-This  union  continued  until  1789.  At  the  meeting  of  the 
Synod  in  1787,  arrangements  were  made  for  the  formation 
of  the  General  Assembly  by  the  division  of  the  Synod  into 
four  Synods,  to-wit :  the  Synod  of  New  York  and  New 
Jersey,  the  Synod  of  Philadelphia,  the  Synod  of  Virginia, 
and  the  Synod  of  the  Carolinas.  These  four  Synods  were 
composed  of  sixteen  Presbyteries.  The  first  meeting  of  the 
General  Assembly  was  held  in  the  Second  Presbyterian 
Church,  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  on  the  third  Thursday 
of  May,  1789. 

Having  presented  this  very  succinct  view  of  the  origin  of 
our  Church  in  the  United  States,  I  shall  now  proceed,  briefly, 
to  trace  its  history  South. 

The  Presbytery  of  New  Castle  was  one  of  the  original 
Presbyteries  erected  by  the  sub-division  of  the  Presbytery  of 
Philadelphia,  for  the  purpose  of  constituting  the  Synod  of 

*See  Minutes  Synod  of  New  York  and  Philadelphia,  p.  286. 


PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH   IN   GEORGIA.  11 

Philadelphia  in  1716.  There  was  another  Presbytery  south 
of  Philadelphia,  oreated  at  the  same  time,  called  Snow  Hill, 
consisting  of  three  ministers  ;  but  one  of  them  dying  within 
a  year,  it  became  extinct.  From  the  New  Castle  was  formed 
the  Presbytery  of  Hanover,  in  the  year  1755.  Out  of  the 
Presbytery  of  Hanover  was  erected  the  Presbytery  of  Orange, 
North  Carolina,  in  1770.  From  the  Presbytery  of  Orange 
was  created  the  Presbytery  of  South  Carolina,  in  1784  ;  and 
from  the  same,  the  Presbytery  of  Concord,  North  Carolina, 
was  set  off  in  1795.  From  the  Presbytery  of  South  Carolina 
the  Presbytery  of  Hopewell  was  erected  in  1796,  which 
embraced  the  whole  State  of  Georgia. 

Thus,  nearly  a  century  elapsed  from  the  time  of  the  crea- 
tion of  the  first  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia  by  the  voluntary 
union  of  the  existing  Churches  and  ministers  until  a  Presby- 
tery was  constituted  south  of  the  Savannah  River. 

But  this  fact  by  no  means  proves  that  Presbyterianism 
did  not  exist  in  Georgia  long  anterior  to  the  formation  of  a 
Presbytery.  A  Presbyterian  Church  (the  Independent)  was 
organized  in  Savannah  as  early  as  1765.  A  colony  of  Scotch 
Presbyterians  settled  at  Darien,  by  them  called  New  Inver- 
ness, near  the  mouth  of  the  Altamaha  River,  about  1735.* 
They  joined  Oglethorpe  in  his  expedition  against  the  Span- 
iards in  Florida.  The  Presbytery  of  South  Carolina  em- 
braced the  State  within  its  bounds  from  its  formation,  in 
1784  until  the  erection  of  Hopewell,  in  1796,  and  had  many 
Churches  under  its  care  in  Georgia.  Among  these  were 
Bethany  in  Green  county.  New  Hope  in  Madison,  Joppa, 
Liberty,  Little  Britain,  Bethsalem,  Siloam,  Bethsaida,  Car- 
mel.  Providence,  and  others. 

The  first  petition  for  ministerial  aid  from  Georgia  was 
presented  to  the  Synod  of  New  York  and  Philadelphia  at 
their  Sessions  in  New  York,  May,  1766.     This  came  from  a 

*  See  Bancroft. 


12  PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH   IN    GEORGIA. 


place  called  Briar  Creek.  At  the  same  Sessions  of  the 
Synod  it  was  resolved,  that  to  "  meet  the  earnest  supplica- 
tions from  North  and  South  Carolina  and  Georgia,  several 
ministers  should  be  sent  out."  A  Mr.  C.  T.  Smith  also 
volunteered  at  the  same  time,  to  itinerate  in  the  Carolinas 
and  Georgia*.*  In  1770,  Briar  Creek  was  again  an  appli- 
cant for  supplies.  This  year  a  Mr.  Josiah  Lewis  was  sent 
out  to  Georgia,  and  directed  to  preach  three  months  at 
Briar  Creek.  In  1771,  a  call  was  presented  to  the  Synod 
of  New  York  and  Philadelphia,  in  session  at  Philadelphia, 
for  the'pastoral  services  of  the  Rev.  Josiah  Lewis,  from  the 
united  congregations  of  Briar  Creek  and  Queensborough. 
This  was  probably  the  first  formal  call  ever  made  out  in 
Georgia  'for  a  Presbyterian  pastor.  Whether  he  accepted 
the  call  does  not  appear  from  the  minutes  of  the  Synod. 
The  probability  is,  that  he  did  not  accept,  since  the  congre- 
trations  requested  that  in  case  the  call  was  not  accepted, 
supplies  might  be  granted  them ;  and  we  find  the  Synod 
afterwards  appointing  a  Mr.  Elam  Potter  a  missionary  for 
six  months  in  Georgia.  The  Synod  also,  at  the  same  sessions, 
appointed  the  Rev.  P.  Allison  to  a  mission  in  Georgia. 

In  1773,  a  supplication  for  supplies  was  sent  up  from  Saint 
Paul's  parish  in  Georgia,  and  a  Mr.  Wallace  was  directed 
"to  preach  to  them  sometimes."  The  Revolutionary  war 
breaking  out  shortly  afterwards,  the  Southern  Churches  do 
not  appear  to  have  had  any  intercourse  with  the  General 
Synod,  until  the  formation  of  the  Presbytery  of  South  Car- 
olina, in  1784.  None  of  the  ministers  constituting  that 
Presbytery  resided  in  Georgia  at  that  time.  It  is  not  prob- 
able there  were  any  Presbyterian  ministers  in  Georgia  during 
the  Revolution,  save  the  pastor  of  the  Independent,  of  Sa- 
vannah. Nor  does  it  appear  that  any  advances  were  made 
in  planting  Churches  during  that  period,  nor  until  the  Pres- 
bytery of  South  Carolina  was  ushered  into  being. 
•Minutes  of  Presbyterian  Church,  p.  360 — 61. 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH   IN   GEORGIA.  13 

Only  three  Churches,  then,  are  known  to  have  existed  in 
connection  with  the  Synod  prior  to  the  Revolution.  These 
were  Briar  Creek,  Queensborough,  and  Saint  Paul's  parish. 
As  to  the  particular  location  of  the  two  former,  we  have  no 
certain  information.  There  are  several  Briar  Creeks  in 
Georgia.  If  permitted  to  give  our  opinion,  however,  we 
would  locate  them  in  Burke  county.  They  were  certainly 
not  west  of  Augusta.  And  there  is  a  Briar  Creek  in  Burke 
and  Scriven  counties,  and,  though  there  is  no  Queensborough, 
there  is  a  Waynesborough.  This  opinion  is  fortified  by  refer- 
ence to  a  minute  entered  on  the  records  of  Hopewell  Pres- 
bytery, in  1799,  in  the  following  words :  "A  number  of 
people  living  in  the  Walnut  Branch  settlement  petitioned  for 
supplies."  And  again :  "Also  a  congregation  below  Waynes- 
borough,  called  the  Old  Churchy  petitioned  for  supplies." 
That  this  "Old  Church"  was  none  other  than  "Briar  Creek," 
which  appeared  so  often  as  a  suppliant  for  supplies  at  the 
bar  of  the  Synod  of  New  York  and  Philadelphia,  we  are 
fully  satisfied.  "Saint  Paul's  parish  "  was  the  Augusta 
Church.  Thus  the  Augusta  Church  existed  long  before  the 
erection  of  Hopewell — it  existed  before  the  Revolutionary 
war — it  is,  probably,  at  least  a  hundred  years  old.  It  does 
not  seem  that  these  Churches  were  under  the  care  of  any 
particular  Presbytery.  They  held  correspondence  only  with 
the  General  Synod,  and  from  it  sought  aid.  In  1806,  or 
nine  years  after  Hopewell  was  set  off,  the  Augusta  Church, 
by  its  commissioner,  Mr.  William  Fee,  petitioned  to  be  taken 
under  its  care,  and  to  be  known  as  "  the  Church  of  Saint 
Paul's."  The  Rev.  John  Thompson  was  its  first  pastor.  He 
was  from  New  York,  and  was  received  as  a  licentiate  under 
the  care  of  Hopewell  in  1805.  He  was  called  to  the  pastor- 
ate of  Saint  Paul's  in  1806,  and  was  ordained  to  the  full 
exercise  of  the  ministry  in  that  Church,  by  Hopewell  Pres- 
bytery, May  9th,  1807. 

Presbyterianism,  when  once  firmly  planted  in  a  place, 


14  PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH    IN    GEORGIA. 

rarely  dies  out.  The  Church  at  Waynesborough  and  Bath 
may  be  traced  back  to  Briar  Creek  and  Walnut  Branch. 
So,  also,  the  Church  at  Washington,  Wilkes  county,  to 
Smyrna ;  the  Church  at  Mount  Zion  to  Ebenezer ;  the 
Church  at  Greenesborough  to  Siloam,  etc.  There  are  prob- 
ably not  more  than  two  Churches  now  in  Hopewell  having 
the  same  names  they  bore  when  the  Presbytery  was  organ- 
ized. These  are  Bethany  (not  inaptly  designated  the  mother 
of  Churches)  and  New  Hope.  Smyrna  is  Washington,  Eb- 
enezer is  Mount  Zion,  Joppa  is  Lexington,  etc. 

We  have  remarked  that  there  were  only  (so  far  as  known) 
three  Presbyterian  organizations  in  the  State  before  the 
Revolution.  The  Independent  Presbyterian  Church,  of  Sa- 
vannah, never  had  any  ecclesiastical  connection  with  any 
Presbytery  or  Synod  in  Georgia  or  elsewhere.  It  was 
founded  at  an  early  day  in  the  history  of  the  colony,  by 
whom,  we  know  not.  Its  first  pastor  was  probably  the  Rev. 
John  Joachim  Zubly.* 

Congregationalism  never  had  a  strong  foothold  in  Georgia. 
Indeed,  almost  the  only  organization  of  the  kind  in  the 
State  is  that  of  Midway,  in  Liberty  county,  before  the  Rev- 

*  Dr.  Zubley  was  a  native  of  St.  Gall,  in  Switzerland  ;  born  August 
27th,  1724,  and  ordained  August  19th,  1744.  He  was  a  man  of  great 
learning  and  ability.  To  the  Independent  Congregation  he  preached  in 
English,  to  a  neighboring  congregation  in  German,  and  to  another  in 
French.  He  was  a  man  of  undoubted  piet}'-,  and  earnestly  devoted  to 
the  cause  of  his  Divine  Master.  The  degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity  was 
conferred  on  him  by  Princeton  College  in  1770. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  American  Revolution  he  took  part  with 
the  colonies,  and  was  a  delegate  from  the  State  to  the  Continental  Con- 
gress in  1775-1776.  But,  when  the  question  of  separation  from  the 
mother  country  came  up,  he  opposed  it,  and,  quitting  his  post  in  Phila. 
delphia,  returned  to  Georgia,  and  afterwards  took  sides  against  the 
colonies  and  became  vejy  unpopular,  and  was  finally  compelled  to  leave 
Savannah. 

He  died,  somewhere  in  South  Carolina,  July  33d.  1781,  and  his  re- 
mains were  afterwards  brought  to  Savannah  and  interred. — Sprague's 
Annals. 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH   IN    GEORGIA.  15 

olution,  called  St.  John's  parish.  This  congregation  was 
originally  a  colony  from  Dorchester,  Massachusetts.  They 
emigrated  first  to  South  Carolina,  and  settled  at  a  place  they 
called  Dorchester,  near  Charleston  ;  but  the  location  proving 
unhealthy,  they  removed  to  Georgia  before  the  Revolution- 
ary war.  They  were  an  ardently  patriotic  people — sons  of 
liberty — who  resisted  courageously.  They  were  honored  by 
changing  the  name  of  their  county  from  St.  John's  parish 
to  Liberty  county.  Midway  was,  during  many  years,  a 
strong  and  flourishing  Church.  It  has  sent  more  young  men 
into  the  ministry  than  any  Church  in  the  South,  or  prob- 
ably in  the  United  States.  The  first  native  Presbyterian 
minister  ordained  in  Georgia,  the  late  Rev.  Thomas  Gould- 
iog,  D.D.,  was  from  this  Church.  It  is  now  declining  and 
even  threatened  with  extinction.  The  colonies  which  have 
gone  out  from  it,  such  as  Walthourville  and  Flemington,  are 
Presbyterian,  and  all  the  young  men  have  entered  the  Pres- 
byterian ministry.  Its  pastors  have  generally  been  Presby- 
terians. 

Having  with  great  brevity  sketched  the  progress  of  our 
Church  southward,  from  its  origin,  about  the  commencement 
of  the  eighteenth  century,  up  to  the  formation  of  Hopewell 
Presbytery,  about 'the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth,  we  will 
now  present  a  genwal  view  of  its  progress  in  Georgia.* 

*  The  author  had  been  engaged  many  years  in  collecting  materials  for 
ft  history  of  our  Church  in  this  State.  He  had  been  successful  in  gather- 
ing together  many  valuable  facts  and  documents.  But  these  were  all 
lost  during  the  war,  having  been  burned  by  the  enemy.  The  loss  ia 
irretrievable. 


HOPEWELL  PRESBYTERY. 


At  the  Annual  Sessions  of  the  Synod  of  the  Carolinas,  at 
Morganton,  North  Carolina,  the  3d  day  of  November,  1796, 
the  Presbytery  of  South  Carolina  laid  before  the  Synod  an 
overture,  praying  a  division  of  the  Presbytery,  and  that  a 
Presbytery  be  laid  off  on  the  southwest  side  of  Savannah 
River,  to  be  known  by  the  name  of  Hopewell.  The  petition 
was  granted,  and  the  ministers,  John  Newton,  John  Springer, 
Robert  M.  Cunningham,  Moses  Waddel,  and  William  Mont- 
gomery, were  detached  from  the  Presbytery  of  South  Caro- 
lina ;  and  it  was  ordered  that  it  hold  its  first  meeting  at 
Liberty  Church  on  the  third  Thursday  in  March,  1797.* 

*  Rev.  John  Newton  was  born  in  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  February 
20,  1759.  He  graduated  at  Liberty  Hall — an  institution  then  existing  in 
Mecklinburgh  county,  N.  C— 20th  of  August,  1780.  He  married  Cathe- 
rine Lowrance,  November,  1780.  By  what  Presbytery  he  was  licensed 
and  ordained,  is  not  certainly  known,  but  probably  Orange.  He  came 
to  Georgia  in  1788,  and  took  charge  of  Bethsalem  Church,  in  Oglethorpe 
county,  and  the  New  Hope  Church,  now  Madison  county.  Here  he 
labored  until  the  period  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1797,  between 
the  first  and  second  meeting  of  the  Presbytery.  Jie  had  a  large  family 
of  sons  and  daughters.  His  widow  lived  to  an  advanced  age,  and  died 
in  the  city  of  Athens,  Ga.,  a  few  years  since.  Many  of  his  descendants 
live  in  this  and  other  States.  Several  of  his  sons  have  filled  the  office  of 
Ruling  Elder. 

Rev.  John  Springer  was  the  first  Presbyterian  minister  ordaineJ  south 
of  the  Savannah  River.  He  was  ordained  by  the  Presbytery  of  South 
Carolina  about  1793,  in  the  town  of  Washington.  No  house  of  worship 
existed  in  the  place  at  that  time,  and  consequently  the  ordination  service 
was  performed  under  the  shade  of  a  large  tulip  or  poplar  tree,  standing 
on  grounds  belonging  to  A.  L.  Alexander,  Esq.  He  was  installed  Pastor 
of  Smyrna  congregation,  whose  house  of  worship  stood  some  three 
miles  southeast  of  Washington,  on  the  Augusta  road.  Mr.  Springer  died 
in  1798.     Some  of  his  descendants  still  reside  in  this  State. 

Rev.  Robert  M.  Cunningham  was  born  in  York  county,  Pennsylvania, 
September  10, 1760.    He  was  educated  at  Dickinson  College,  Carlisle, 


PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH   IN   GEORGIA.  17 

The  Presbytery  met,  accordingly,  on  the  16th  of  March, 
1797,  all  the  members  being  present,  together  with  three 
ruling  Elders,  to-wit :  Ezekiel  Gillam,  James  Darrach  aad 
Lodowick  Tuggle.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Springer  opened  the 
meeting  with  a  sermon  from  Luke  iv:  18,  Mr.  Springer 
was  chosen  Moderator,  and  Mr.  Waddel  Clerk. 

At  the  first  meeting  of  the  Presbytery,  the  Church  at 
Hebron,  Franklin,  now  Banks  county,  was  taken  under  its 
care,  and  the  people  living  on  the  North-fork  of  the  Oconee 
(now  Thyatira  Church)  petitioned  for  supplies.  We  gather 
from  the  minutes  that  the  following  were  the  more  prominent 
Churches  under  its  care,  to-wit :  Liberty,  Bethany,  Little 
Britain,  Bethsalem,  New  Hope,  Bethsaida,  Siloam,  Smyrna, 
Joppa,  Carmel,  Sharon,  Ebenezer,  Providence,  Concord, 
Beersheba,  and  Unity.  Several  of  these  Churches  have 
become  extinct,  or  have  been  absorbed  in  other  Churches 

where  he  graduated  in  1789.  He  was  licensed  by  the  Presbytery  of 
South  Carolina  in  1793.  He  organized  the  Church  of  Ebenezer,  in  what 
was  then  Green,  now  Hancock  county.  He  settled  in  that  neighborhood, 
and  preached  alternately  at  Ebenezer  and  Bethany.  He  continued  the 
pastor  of  these  Churches  about  fifteen  years.  His  pastoral  relation  was 
dissolved  in  1808.  He  then  removed  to  Lexington,  Kentucky,  and  was 
installed  collegiate  pastor  with  the  Rev.  Dr.  Blythe,  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  in  that  city.  Here  he  remained  till  the  autumn  of  1823,  when 
he  resigned  his  charge,  and  went  to  Alabama  and  settled  at  a  place 
called  Moulton ;  thence,  after  two  years,  he  removed  to  the  Black  Warrior 
River,  in  the  vicinity  of  Tuskaloosa.  He  was  instrumental  in  raising  up 
a  Church  in  Tuskaloosa  and  another  in  Carthage^  a  neighboring  town. 
He  occupied  the  pulpit  in  Tuskaloosa  about  eight  years.  The  honorary 
degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity  was  conferred  on  him  by  Franklin  College, 
Ga.,  in  1837.    He  died  July  11, 1839,  in  the  eightieth  year  of  his  age. 

Rev.  Moses  Waddel  was  born  in  Rowan  (now  Iredell)  county.  North 
Carolina,  July  29, 1770.  His  parents  were  emigrants  from  Ireland,  who 
arrived  in  Charleston  in  1767.  He  was  educated  in  part  at  an  institution 
called  Clio's  Nursery,  which  had  been  established  through  the  instru- 
mentality of  the  Rev.  James  Hall,  D.D.,*  and  was  for  a  time  taught  by 


*Dr.  Hall  was  born  at  Carlisle,  Pa.,  August  22,1744;  graduated  at  Princeton, 
1774;  was  licensed  in  1775-6  by  the  Presbytery  of  Orange.  He  died  July  25, 1826,  in 
the  eighty-second  year  of  his  ago. 

2 


18  PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH    IN    GEORGIA. 

under  new  names.  The  names  of  many  have  been  changed. 
Of  the  latter,  we  note  Smyrna,  now  Washington ;  Liberty, 
now  Woodstock ;  Ebenezer,  now  Mt.  Zion ;  Siloam,  now 
Greensborough ;  Bethsaida,  now  Sandy  Creek.  Bethany, 
New  Hope,  and  Hebron,  only,  retain  the  names  by  which 
they  Avere  known  seventyyears  ago. 

Any  one  who  will  take  the  pains  carefully  to  examine  the 
proceedings  of  Hopewell  in  its  early  days,  must  be  satisfied 
that  its  members  were  not  dumb  dogs,  l^ing  doivn,  loving  to 
slumber.  There  were  only  five  members  originally,  and  one 
of  them  died  the  first  year.  Yet  they  made  constant  efforts 
to  supply  all  their  Churches,  and  to  answer  every  call  made 
upon  them  for  ministerial  aid  throughout  their  wide  extended 
bounds.  In  the  minutes  continually  occur  orders  for  supply- 
ing the  Churches  with  the  preaching  of  the  Word  and  admin- 
istration of  the  ordinances. 

The  first  addition  made  to  their  numbers  was  Mr.  Thomas 
Newton.  He  was  a  brother  of  the  Rev.  John  Newton,  and 
had  been  licensed  by  Concord  Presbytery,  N.  C.  He  was 
received  under  the  care  of  Hopewell  in  1798,  and  ordained 
at  Hebron  Church,  March  16,  1799.     The  second  ordina- 

the  Rev.  James  McEwen,  and,  after  his  decease,  by  the  Rev.  Francis 
Cummins,  D.D.  In  June,  1790,  he  entered  Hampden  Sidney  College, 
Va.,  and  graduated  in  1791,  remaining  only  eight  months  in  College. 
This  was  owing  to  his  thorough  early  education.  He  was  one  of  the 
best  classical  scholars  this  country  has  ever  seen.  He  was  licensed  to 
preach  the  gospel  by  the  Hanover  Presbytery,  Va.,  May  12,  1792.  In 
1793  or  1794,  he  came  to  Georgia  and  opened  a  school  in  Columbia 
county.  In  1801,  he  removed  to  Vienna,  Abbeville,  S.  C,  where  he 
opened  a  school.  In  1804,  he  settled  at  Willington.  Here  he  remained 
until  1819,  when,  having  been  elected  President  of  the  University  of 
Georgia,  he  removed  to  Athens.  He  held  this  office  about  ten  years, 
resigning  in  1829.  The  degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity  was  conferred  on 
him  by  South  Carolina  College  in  1807.  He  died  in  Athens,  July  21, 
1840. 

Rev.  William  Montgomery  was  for  a  time  pastor  of  New  Hope  Church. 
He  went  to  the  West  about  1812,  and  it  is  supposed  died  in  the  State  of 
Mississippi.    Little  or  nothing  is  known  of  his  history. 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH    IN    GEORGIA.  19 

tion  was  that  of  Edward  Pharr,  at  Thyatira,  December  25, 
1801.  At  this  meeting,  Dr.  Waddel  was  dismissed  to  the 
Second  Presbytery  of  South  Carolina.  About  this  period, 
the  body  was  so  feeble  that  it  repeatedly  failed  to  form  a 
quorum.  On  one  occasion  we  find  them  transacting  business 
without  a  quorum.  In  1805,  the  Rev.  Francis  Cummins 
removed  to  this  State  and  united  with  the  Presbytery,  and 
was  called  to  the  pastorate  of  Smyrna  and  Providence 
Churches. 

In  1804,  John  Hodge,  a  licentiate  of  the  Cumberland 
Presbytery,  was  received  under  the  care  of  Hopewell,  and 
ordained  at  Bethsalem  the  6th  of  April,  1805.  He  was  a 
man  of  an  excellent  spirit.  This  was  the  third  ordination 
performed  by  the  Presbytery. 

At  the  same  Sessions,  the  Presbytery  appointed  a  Special 
Session,  or  rather,  a  Commission,  to  try  a  case  in  the  Hebron 
Church.  The  propriety  of  such  a  course  would,  no  doubt, 
in  this  day,  be  strongly  controverted.  They  also  granted 
to  petitioners  from  Bethsalem  and  Shiloh  Churches  liberty 
"to  elect  such  men  as  they  might  think  proper"  as  lay- 
exhorters.  This  would  be  regarded  in  our  day  at  least  a 
very  loose,  if  not  unconstitutional  proceeding.  Perhaps  the 
exigencies  of  the  Churches  warranted  such  a  measure. 

At  the  fall  meeting  of  1805,  there  was  no  quorum,  only 
two  ministers  and  three  elders  being  present  at  the  opening 
of  the  Session ;  yet  they  proceeded  to  business.  Mr.  John 
R.  Thompson,  .late  of  New  York,  and  then  a  resident  of 
Augusta,  was  examined  and  received  under  their  care,  and 
parts  of  trial  assigned  him.  On  the  second  day  of  their 
meeting,  the  Rev.  Francis  Cummms  appeared  with  a  dismis- 
sion from  the  Second  Presbytery  of  South  Carolina,  and 
was  received  as  a  member. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Presbytery  at  Shiloh,  in  1806, 
Saint  Paul's  Church,  Augusta,  was  taken  under  its  care,  and 
John  R.  Thompson  licensed. 


20  PRESETTEKIAN   CHURCH   IN   GEORGIA. 

At  the  fall  meeting  at  Smyrna,  in  1806,  they  found  them- 
selves again  without  a  quorum  on  the  first  day,  but  on  the 
second  they  had  a  sufficient  number  of  members.  The  con- 
gregation of  Saint  Paul's,  by  the  hand  of  Dr.  Murray,  pre- 
sented a  call  for  the  pastoral  services  of  John  R.  Thompson, 
which  was  by  him  accepted,  and  he  was  ordained  in  the 
Church  in  Augusta,  May  9th,  1807.  At  the  meeting  of  the 
Presbytery  at  New  Hope,  in  September  of  the  same  year,  Mr. 
Thompson  sought  a  dissolutsoion  of  the  pastoral  relation.  The 
Church  was  cited  to  shew  cause  why  his  request  should  not 
be  granted  at  the  next  session.  But  at  the  next  meeting  he 
withdrew  the  petition ;  and  it  does  not  appear  from  the  min- 
utes that  Mr.  Thompson  was  ever  dismissed,  nor  when  he 
left  the  Church.  He  was,  however.  Moderator  of  the  Synod 
in  1813,  but  his  name  does  not  appear  on  the  roll  of  Hope- 
well after  1809. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Presbytery  at  Bethsalem,  in  1813, 
the  Rev.  Nathan  S.  S.  Beman  became  a  member,  on  present- 
ing a  dismission  from  the  Cumberlain  Association  of  Maine. 
At  the  same  time  the  Rev.  Dr.  John  Brown  joined  the  Pres- 
bytery on  a  dismission  from  Harmony  Presbytery,  S.  C. 
He  had  been  elected  President  of  the  University  of  Georgia 
in  1811.  Dr.  Brown's  removal  to  Georgia  gave  a  fresh  im- 
petus to  Presbyterianism,  by  his  preaching  and  standing  as 
a  man  of  high  and  commanding  influence.  He  continued  in 
the  Presidency  of  the  College  about  five  years.* 

*Dr.  Brown  was  a  native  of  the  county  of  Antrim,  Ireland.  His 
father  was  poor.  His  mother,  like  Hannah,  "  lent  him  to  the  Lord,"  and 
early  taught  him  to  read  the  Scriptures.  He  was  sent  nine  months  to  a 
country  school  when  in  his  sixteenth  year,  and  in  his  nineteenth  year  he 
was  the  same  length  of  time  in  a  grammar  school,  in  the  Waxhaw  set- 
tlement. This  was  the  sum  total  of  his  education  in  the  schools.  He 
was  licensed  to  preach  in  1788.  In  1809,  he  was  chosen  Professor  of 
Logic  and  Moral  Philosophy  in  the  South  Carolina  College,  and  in  1811, 
President  of  the  Georgia  University.  He  was  pastor  of  Mount  Zion 
Church,  Hancock  county,  twelve  years.  He  died  at  Fort  Gains,  Dec. 
11th,  1842.  "  He  was  a  wonderfully  fluent  speaker."  He  was  an  eminently 
good  man.  Humble,  generous,  guileless,  indifferent  to  the  world,  he 
loved  every  body,  and  the  law  of  kindness  dwelt  on  his  tongue. 


PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH   IN   GEORGIA.  21 

About  this  time  a  number  of  young  men  placed  themselves 
under  the  care  of  the  Presbytery,  with  the  professed  purpose 
'of  entering  the  ministry.  Among  these  we  note  Benjamin 
Gildersleeve,  who  was  licensed  in  1815.  He  has  been  dis- 
tinguished as  the  conductor  of  a  religious  newspaper,  first 
at  Mount  Zion,  then  in  Charleston,  and  finally  at  Richmond, 
Va.  He  yet  lives  in  Southwestern  Virginia.  Orson  Doug- 
las, who  labored  long  as  seamen's  preacher  in  Philadelphia, 
where  hft  died  some  years  since.  David  Root  and  Ira  In- 
graham.  The  former  was  licensed  and  after  some  time  was 
dismissed  to  join  a  Presbytery  in  Ohio.  What  became  of 
Ira  Ingraham  does  not  so  clearly  appear.  The  memorial  of 
Alonzo  Church  will  be  found  among  '■'■The  Dead  of  the  Synod 
of  Georgia.'"  All  these  young  men  were  from  the  North,  and 
most  of  them  graduates  of  Middleburry  College,  Vt. 

In  1817,  Rev.  Robert  Finley,  D.D.,  who  succeeded  Dr. 
Brown  as  President  of  the  University,  united  with  the  Pres- 
bytery, on  a  dismission  from  the  Presbytery  of  New  Bruns- 
wick, N.  J.*  He  joined  the  Presbytery  at  Madison,  Mor- 
gan county,  the  5th  of  September,  returned  home,  sickened, 
and  died  on  the  3d  of  October,  1817.  He  was  an  eminent 
man,  and  a  great  loss  to  the  Church  and  State  of  Georgia. 

In  1817,  the  subject  of  establishing  a  Theological  Seminary 
was  first  started.     The  reasons  for  attempting  such  an  en- 

*Dr.  Fialey  was  of  Scottish  origin,  and  was  born  in  Princeton,  N.  J., 
in  1772.  He  joined  the  Freshman  Class  in  Princeton  College  in  his 
eleventh  year,  and  graduated  in  his  sixteenth.  He  was  licensed  in  Sep- 
tember, 1794,  and  settled  at  Basking  Ridge  in  1795.  He  was  the  first 
who  suggested  the  idea  of  communicating  religious  instruction  by  meana 
of  Bible  classes.  Through  his  influence  the  subject  was  carried  before 
the  General  Assembly,  and,  by  a  unanimous  vote  of  that  body,  recom- 
mended to  the  Presbyteries  and  congregations. 

He  was  the  first  to  conceive  the  idea  of  colonizing  the  free  people  of 
color  on  the  coast  of  Africa.  With  many  the  scheme  was  regarded  as 
impracticable  and  chimerical.  But  his  Thoughts  on  the  Colonization  of 
the  Free  Blacks,  published  about  this  time,  led  to  the  formation  of  the 
Colonization  Society  in  December,  1816, 


22         PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH  IN  GEOEGIA. 

terprise  were  declared  to  be  "  the  destitute  state  of  the 
Churches"  within  their  bounds,  and  "  that  many  of  the  peo- 
ple had  been  obliged  to  join  other  religious  societies,"  or 
live  without  the  enjoyment  "  of  the  communion  of  saints  in 
gospel  ordinances."  And  they  farther  said:  "Believing 
that  our  Churches  might  be  increased,  and  many  new  con- 
gregations formed,  provided  we  could  give  reasonable  assur- 
ances that  they  would  be  supplied  with  pastors,  the  members 
feel  it  their  duty  to  pray  the  Lord  of  the  harvest  to  send 
forth  more  laborers.  And  whereas,  prayers  ought  always  to 
be  accompanied  with  dutiful  endeavors  for  the  attainment  of 
the  blessings  for  which  we  pray ;  and  whereas,  there  is  but 
little  opportunity  for  young  men  to  acquire  the  knowledge  of 
those  things  which  are  necessary  to  qualify  them  for  the  dis- 
charge of  ministerial  duties — Presbytery  feels  it  incumbent 
on  it  to  endeavor  to  make  some  provision  for  the  continuance 
and  increase  of  a  gospel  ministry  in  this  part  of  the  vine- 
yard, when  those  who  now  officiate  in  holy  things  shall  have 
rested  from  their  labors.  And,  believing  that  a  Theological 
School  in  this  part  of  the  world  might  be  subservient  to  this 
end,  unanimously  resolved  to  take  that  subject  into  consid- 
eration, and  to  use  such  ways  and  means  as  God,  in  his  prov- 
idence may  seem  to  open  up  to  view  as  likely  to  be  condu- 
cive to  this  end." 

For  carrying  into  effect  these  views,  the  Presbytery 
appointed  Dr.  Cummins,  Dr.  Brown,  and  Dr.  Finley,  a 
committee  "  to  draft  a  plan  for  a  Theological  School,  to  be 
laid  before  the  Presbytery  at  its  next  session."*     This  com- 

*  To  Hopewell  belongs  the  honor  of  taking  the  initiative  for  es- 
tablishing a  Theological  Seminary  in  the  South.  The  Seminary  at 
Princeton  went  into  operation  in  1812,  and  so  did  the  Theological  School 
of  the  Synod  of  Virginia,  in  connection  with  Hampden  Sidnej^  College, 
of  which  Dr.  Moses  Hoge  was  President,  and  Theological  Professor  at 
the  same  time.  But  Union  Seminary  proper  did  not  commence  its  exer- 
cises till  1823,  when  Dr.  John  H.  Rice  was  elected  Professor. 

The  enterprise,  though  abandoned  by  Hopewell  for  a  time,  still  pressed 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH    IX    GEORGIA.  23 

mittee  did  not  report  until  April,  1819,  when  the  following 
minute  was  entered :  "  In  consequence  of  the  death  of  Dr. 
Finley,  the  committee  appointed  in  1817,  to  draft  a  plan  for 
a  Theological  School,  did  not  report."  A  new  committee 
was  then  appointed,  consisting  of  Dr.  Cummins,  Dr.  Brown, 
and  Dr.  Beman,  "to  report  on  that  subject  at  the  next  session.'" 
At  the  meeting  in  September,  1819,  this  committee  reported 
"  on  the  subject  of  a  Theological  School  at  considerable 
length."  The  report  was  "in  part  considered,  but  not 
adopted."  What  was  the  difficulty  we  are  not  informed. 
The  Presbytery,  however,  proceeded  to  the  choice  of  a  place 
or  site  for  the  institution.  Athens  and  Mount  Zion  were 
put  in  nomination.  On  taking  the  vote,  it  was  carried  in 
favor  of  Athens.  Subsequently  another  report  "  on  the 
subject  of  a  Theological  School  was  brought  in  and  read, 
but  not  adopted."  After  this,  the  consideration  of  the  sub- 
ject of  a  Theological  School  Avas  indefinitely  postponed. 
Thus  ended  this  enterprise.  This  was  probably  owing  to  a 
conflict  about  the  location. 

It  would  seem  that  the  attendance  upon  the  sessions  of  the 
Synod  of  South  Carolina  and  Georgia,  by  members  of  the 
Presbytery,  were  few  and  far  between.  The  Synod  repeat- 
edly called  their  attention  to  the  fact,  charging  them  witli 
"  negligence"  in  attending  its  Sessions,  and  failures  to  make 
"  Presbyterial  Reports."  Sometimes  they  excused  themselves 
by  alleging  the  great  distance  they  were  from  its  place  of 
meeting.  At  this  time  (1818)  it  consisted  of  only  seven 
members,  and  they  so  widely  scattered  that  it  was  often  dif- 
ficult to  secure  a  sufiicient  attendance  to   form  a  quorum. 

upon  the  minds  of  its  members  ;  and  we  shall  see,  some  ten  or  twelve 
years  subsequently,  that  the  Presbytery  actually  proceeded  to  appoint  a 
Professor  of  Theology,  who  entered  upon  his  duties,  teaching  in  his  own 
house.  This  was  before  the  Seminary  at  Columbia  was  founded,  to 
which  he  was  transferred  at  the  commencement  of  its  operations,  a.< 
Professor  of  Church  History  and  Government. 


24  PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH    IN    GEORGIA. 

Several  times  only  two  members  would  be  present,  who  would 
adjourn  from  day  to  day,  waiting  for  the  arrival  of  a  third. 
Traveling  was  in  that  day  a  much  more  difficult  affair  than 
at  present.  It  required  then  a  week  or  more  to  perform  a 
journey  which  we  now  accomplish  in  a  day. 

In  lbl9,  Dr.  Moses  Waddel  was  called  to  the  Presidency 
of  the  Georgia  University.  He  came  again  into  connection 
with  Hopewell  Presbytery,  after  an  absence  of  more  than 
nineteen  years,  having  been  dismissed  to  the  Second  Presby- 
tery of  South  Carolina  in  1801 ;  he  rejoined  the  Presbytery 
in  April,  1820.  From  this  period  we  may  more  properly 
date  the  permanent  and  onward  progress  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  in  Georgia.  Before  this,  it  had  rather  a  precarious 
existence  in  the  State.  The  Churches  were  few  and  feeble. 
They  were  generally  in  the  country ;  in  none  of  the  larger 
towns  and  villages  had  we  any  Churches,  except  Augusta, 
Washington,  Eatonton,  etc.  In  Athens  there  was  a  small 
organization.  In  Milledgeville,  the  seat  of  government, 
there  was  none.  Macon,  Columbus,  LaGrange,  Newnan, 
etc.,  were  unknown — indeed,  had  no  existence  as  towns.  A 
Church  was  organized  at  Milledgeville  in  1826,  with  seven 
members,  and  at  Macon,  consisting  of  twenty-five  members. 
A  Church  was  also  gathered  in  Butts  county  in  the  same 
year.  The  following  Churches  were  reported  as  recently 
formed  in  the  year  1829,  viz :  Greenville,  Thomaston,  La- 
Grange,  Nazareth,  and  a  Church  at  Columbus  consisting  of 
five  members.  The  Church  at  Decatur,  DeKalb  county,  was 
constituted  in  1825,  and  the  Church  of  Smyrna,  Newton 
county,  and  Philadelphia,  Fayette  county,  in  1826.  In 
1820,  a  small  Church  was  gathered  at  Lawrenceville,  Gwin- 
nett county.  From  that  point,  over  all  the  broad  district  of 
South-western  Georgia  and  Florida  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico, 
not  a  single  Presbyterian  Church  was  found.  The  Church 
at  Lawrenceville  was  the  ultima  thule  of  Presbyterianism  in 
the  west  of  the  State.     Beyond  the  Chattahoochee,  now  the 


PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH   IN   GEORGIA.  25 

territory  of  Cherokee  Presbytery,  the  Cherokee  Indians 
dwelt ;  among  them  a  few  missionaries  (not  Presbyterians) 
were  laboring. 

In  1820,  the  Presbytery  consisted  of  the  following  minis- 
ters :  Rev.  Francis  Cummins,  pastor  at  Greensborough ; 
John  Brown,  D.D.,  without  charge;  Moses  Waddel,  D.D., 
pastor  at  Sandy  Creek ;  Thomas  Newton,  without  charge ; 
Edward  Pharr,  without  charge ;  N.  S.  S.  Beman,  pastor  at 
Mount  Zion  and  Eatonton;  Benjamin  Gildersleeve,  no  charge. 
The  Presbyterial  report  of  that  year  shows  the  numerical 
strength  of  the  Churches  :  Greensborough  had  20  members  ; 
Sandy  Creek,  25;  Mount  Zion,  40;  Eatonton,  20;  Bethany, 
23  ;  Salem,  15  ;  Washington,  15  ;  Bethsalem,  15  ;  Daniels- 
ville,  15;  New  Hope,  20;  Mulberry,  2T ;  Hebron,  30; 
Thyatira,  25  ;  Madison,  25  ;  Athens,  21 ;  Clinton,  6.  The 
total  number  of  persons  reported  this  year  was  342.  This 
report  was  evidently  partial.  The  Augusta  Church  was  not 
reported,  nor  any  Churches  from  the  low  country,  and 
perhaps  some  other  small  organizations  in  the  up  country. 
But  it  was  manifestly  a  day  of  small  things.  There  were 
only  seven  members  of  the  Presbytery,  and  four  of  these  are 
set  down  as  without  charge.  We  are  not,  however,  to  con- 
clude from  this  that  they  were  not  preaching  the  gospel  as 
they  had  opportunity.  It  should  be  remembered  that  Hope- 
well, in  1820,  embraced  a  large  part  of  Georgia,  from  near 
the  Atlantic  coast  to  the  Tennessee,  and  from  the  Savannah 
River  to  the  Gulf — a  vast  territory,  with  only  seven  Presby- 
terian ministers  and  some  fifteen  or  eighteen  feeble  Churches. 
May  we  not  say  it  was  a  day  of  small  things.  Jacob  was 
small ;  our  towers  were  few  and  far  between.  Dr.  Waddel's 
accession  to  the  Presidency  of  the  State  College  infused  a 
new  and  more  enterprising  spirit  into  the  Churches.  A 
number  of  young  and  energetic  men  entered  the  field.  Cham- 
berlain was  appointed  a  Missionary  Evangelist.  He  traveled 
extensively  in  the  State,  labored  abundantly,  and  organized 


26  PKESBYTERIAN    CHURCH   IN    GEORGIA. 

many  Churches.  Church  and  Gildersleeve  were  invested 
with  full  ministerial  authority,  and  Alexander  H.  Webster 
became  the  efficient  and  beloved  pastor  of  the  Washington 
Church.  Although  his  ministry  was  brief,  yet  few  men 
have  made  and  left  a  deeper  impression  or  a  more  grateful 
memorial  on  the  hearts  of  those  to  whom  he  ministered,  than 
Alexander  H.  Webster. 

The  Synod  of  South  Carolina  and  Georgia  had  in  view  the 
formation  of  a  Foreign  and  Domestic  Missionary  Society, 
and  issued  an  address  to  the  Presbyteries,  soliciting  their 
concurrence  in  the  enterprise.  The  Presbytery  of  Hopewell 
cordially  entertained  the  question  in  the  following  resolution: 

^^Resolved,  That  this  Presbytery  highly  approve  and  adopt 
the  proposed  plan  of  the  Synod,  and  that  each  member 
solicit  contributions  and  bear  or  send  them  to  the  Synod  at 
their  Sessions  in  November  next."  * 

In  1823,  the  Presbytery  seemed  to  feel  very  deeply  the 
destitution  of  a  preached  gospel  within  their  bounds,  judging 
from  the  following  action  of  the  body  :  "  In  consideration 
of  the  destitute  condition  of  many  of  our  Churches,  and  the 
languishing  state  ef  religion,  it  is  hereby  Resolved,  That  it 
be  strongly  recommended  to  every  ordained  minister  con- 
nected with  this  Presbytery,  to  devote  fourteen  days  in  each 
succeeding  year  to  laboring  in  destitute  Churches  and  places 
without  the  circle  of  their  usual  ministerial  labors.  Resolved, 
That  the  Stated  Clerk  be  directed  to  write  to  some  member 
of  the  Session  in  each  vacant  Church  within  the  bounds  of 
the  Presbytery,  requesting  that  reports  of  the  number  of 
their  members  and  the  state  of  their  several  Churches  be 
forwarded  to  him  at  or  before  our  next  stated  Sessions." 

*The  Missionary  Society  of  tbe.Synod  continued  its  operations  for 
several  years.  It  establisbed  a  Mission  among  tlie  Cliicliasaw  Indians, 
at  a  place  called  Monroe,  under  the  care  of  the  Rev.  Thomas  C.  Stuart. 
Aftei-  the  removal  of  the  Indians  to  the  West,  Mr.  Sbart  continues  to 
reside  near  the  same  place. 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH    IN    GEORGIA.  27 

Amonof  other  matters  to  which  the  attention  of  the  Pres- 
bytery  was  most  anxiously  directed  at  this  time,  was  the 
manifest  decay  of  religion  in  the  Churches,  and  the  neglect 
of  ministers  and  elders  to  discharge  their  official  duties. 
The  subject  is  thus  considered  :  "  Viewing  Avith  regret  the 
apparent  declension  of  vital  religion  among  the  members  of 
the  Church  of  our  communion,  and  their  neglect  in  atten- 
dance on  the  means  of  grace — feeling  the  necessity  of  more 
energy  in  our  measures :  Resolved,  That  the  Moderator  be 
directed  to  draft  and  transmit  as  soon  as  possible  a  letter  to 
each  member  of  Presbytery  absent  from  our  present  Presby- 
tery, requesting  him  by  that  authority  which  we  have  received 
from  the  Lord,  for  edification  and  not  for  destruction,  that 
for  the  future  he  be  more  careful  and  punctual  in  his  atten- 
dance on  ecclesiastical  judicatories  ;  also,  that  he  transmit  a 
letter  to  one  elder  in  each  congregation,  requesting  that 
elder  to  convene  the  other  elders,  and  that  they  unite  their 
efforts  in  the  support  of  discipline,  the  instruction  of  youth, 
and  suppression  of  vice,  reminding  them  of  the  bearing  of 
their  ordination  vows  to  the  discharge  of  these  and  like 
duties ;  and  farther,  requesting  that  some  one,  elder  in  each 
congregation,  be  appointed  to  report  to  every  stated  session 
of  this  Presbytery  as  to  their  fidelity  and  success  in  these 
things." 

What  was  the  result  of  this  action  of  the  Presbytery  we 
are  not  informed.  It  was  probably  like  a  great  deal  of  such 
proceeding  in  our  Presbyteries  and  Synods — a  dead  letter. 
But  it  may  be  remarked  that  such  action  very  strongly  com- 
mends itself  to  the  conscientious  consideration  of  every 
Presbytery.  The  neglect  of  members  of  the  Churches  to 
attend  on  the  means  of  grace  is  a  great  and  destructive  evil 
in  all  our  Churches.  It  is  an  offence  against  the  good  order 
and  discipline  of  the  Church.  It  is  really  a  disciplinary 
offence ;  yet  it  is  rarely  so  treated.  An  individual  who 
habitually,  and  without   any  providential   reason,   neglects 


28  PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH    IN    GEORGIA. 

attendance  in  the  house  of  God,  and  absents  himself  from 
the  ordinances  of  the  gospel,  should  be  made  to  account  for 
it ;  and  if  he  does  not  reform,  should  be  cut  off.  Dead 
branches  not  only  deform,  but  injure  the  tree.  There  is 
great  need,  eflSciently,  to  use  the  pruning  knife  of  discipline 
in  most  of  our  Churches. 

And  farther,  the  neglect  of  members  of  Church  judicato- 
ries to  attend  their  deliberations,  is  also  a  crying  evil  in  our 
Presbyteries  and  Synods,  and  one  that  ought  to  be  remedied 
without  delay.  Such  neglect  is  a  wrong  done,  not  only  to 
the  body  itself — which  has  a  right  to  expect  the  assistance 
in  labor  and  council  of  every  member — but  it  is  a  wrong 
done  to  the  Churches  in  which  the  delinquents  labor.  AVhat 
Church  ever  prospered  where  the  minister  and  elders  did  not 
attend  the  Church  Courts  ?  Not  one.  Stupidity  and  spir- 
itual declension  is  the  inevitable  result.  It  may  be  asked, 
Why  ?  The  old  proverb  of  Solomon  may  answer  the  question : 
"Iron  sharpeneth  iron;  so  a  man  sharpeneththe  countenance 
of  his  friend."  Social  communion  of  Christians  promotes 
Christian  growth  and  enjoyment ;  so  the  communion  of 
ministers  and  elders  adds  greatly  to  their  efficiency  and 
happiness.  Who  has  attended  upon  such  convocations,  and 
has  not  felt  refreshed  and  better  qualified  for  his  work  !'  A 
minister  who  is  continually  enrolled  among  the  absentees  at 
Presbytery  and  Synod  is  but  a  dead  head  in  the  Church. 
He  is  a  workman  that  needeth  to  be  ashamed. 

The  other  point  referred  to  in  this  Presbyterial  action  is 
still  of  more  solemn  importance — the  duties  of  elders  towards 
the  flock  over  which  they  preside.  They  are  called  overseers; 
but,  alas  !  many  of  them  see  or  know  little  about  the  flocks. 
Neither  the  lambs  nor  the  old  sheep  receive  little  of  their 
care  or  sympathy.  To  call  such  overseers  is  a  misnomer. 
They  neither  visit  the  people,  pray  for,  or  instruct  them.  If 
there  is  a  pastor,  they  throw  the  whole  burden  of  responsi- 
bility on  him,  and  fold  their  arms  in  ineffable  indifference. 

\ 


PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH   IK   GEORGIA. 


Some  have  supposed  that  the  Apostle  refers  to  elders,  when 
he  speaks  of  helps,  governments,  etc.  But,  alas !  the 
majority  of  elders  are  poor  helps.  It  is  well  to  remind  such 
of  their  ordination  vows — the  solemn  pledge  they  have  made 
to  perform  all  the  duties  of  the  office  to  which  they  have 
been  called. 

The  most  important  enterprise  ever  entered  upon  by  any 
ecclesiastical  body  in  the  State,  had  its  inception  at  the 
Session  of  Hopewell  Presbytery  at  Thyatira  Church,  in  the 
spring  of  1823.  This  was  the  formation  of  the  Georgia 
Educational  Society.  Out  of  this  enterprise  arose  the  whole 
movement  of  denominational  education  in  the  State.  To  it  we 
trace  the  existence  of  Oglethorpe  University,  Emory  College, 
and  Mercer  University.  The  movement,  it  is  true,  excited 
some  apprehensions  among  the  friends  of  the  State  College. 
They  feared  that  its  patronage  would  be  diminished  by 
building  up  these  institutions  ;  that  there  were  not  a  sufficient 
number  of  youth  in  the  State,  who  would  seek  a  collegiate 
education,  to  fill  all  the  colleges,  and  that,  consequently,  some 
of  them  must  languish,  if  they  did  not  actually  die  ;  and  the 
apprehension  was,  that  this  blight  would  most  certainly  fall 
upon  the  State  University,  since  the  several  denominatiora 
would  naturally  support  their  own  colleges.  But  these  fears 
were  groundless.  While  the  denominational  colleges  rose 
and  flourished,  Franklin  College  also  increased  in  numbers 
^  and  efficiency.  Its  educational  standard  was  raised,  and  it 
probably  graduated  more  young  men  annually  afterwards 
than  it  ever  had  before.  The  truth  of  the  matter  was,  that 
the  founding  of  these  colleges  diffused  a  more  general  spirit 
of  education  among  the  people,  and  has  added  to  the  number 
of  educated  men  in  the  State  a  large  per  cent,  annually.  It 
has  doubled  the  number  of  educated  men  in  the  learned  pro- 
fessions, and  has  especially  elevated  the  character  of  the 
Christian  ministry  among  the  different  denominations. 

At  the  time  referred  to,  the  Presbytery  declared  that, ."  in 


30  PEESBYTERIAN   CHURCH    IN    GEORGIA. 

consideration  of  the  great  and  pressing  exigencies  of  the 
Church  of  Christ  in  this  State,  and  the  uncertainty  and 
insufficiency  of  ministerial  supply  for  our  Churches  from  any 
means  now  in  operation ;  Resolved,  That  this  Presbytery 
cordially  approve,  and  strongly  recommend  to  its  members, 
its  Churches,  and  the  pious  at  large,  an  immediate  and  united 
eflfort  to  establish  a  Georgia  Educational  Society,  for  aiding 
indigent  young  men  of  piety  and  talents  in  acquiring  a  suit- 
able education  for  the  gospel  ministry ;  and  that  the  Revs. 
Moses  Waddel,  Thomas  Goulding,  Remembrance  Chamber- 
lain, and  Dr.  James  Nisbet,  be  a  Committee  to  prepare  the 
plan  of  a  Constitution,  and  take  suitable  other  steps  as  may 
to  them  appear  necessary  or  useful  for  accomplishing  the 
purpose  without  delay,  and  report  the  nature  and  success  of 
the  same  at  our  next  Sessions." 

At  the  next  meeting,  in  October,  1823,  the  Committee 
reported  verbally  in  part,  which  was  approved.  The  Rev. 
Thomas  Goulding  was  directed  to  prepare  a  full  report  of 
the  same  for  insertion  on  the  minutes  at  or  before  the  next 
Sessions. 

This  report  was  made  at  the  same  Sessions,  and  is  as 
follows : 

"  The  Report  of  the  Committee  appointed  hy  Hopewell  Pres- 
bytery at  its  /Sessions  at  Thyatira  Church,  May  24,  1823, 
to  organize  a  G-eoryia  Educational  Society. 
"  This  Committee,  consisting  of  the  Revs.  Moses  Waddel, 
D.D.,  Remembrance  Chamberlain,  and  Dr.  James  Nisbet, 
met,  according  to  appointment,  at  Athens,  on  Monday,  26th 
of  May,  1823,  and  continued  its  Sessions  until  Wednesday, 
the  28th.     The  plan  of  a  Constitution,  with  an  address  to 
the  Churches  and  benevolent  individuals  in  our  State,  was 
agreed  upon  by  the  Committee  and  published  in  the  Mission- 
ary at  Mount  Zion ;  and  appointing  the  7th  of  August  next 
ensuing  for  a  meeting  In  Athens,  to  organize  the  Society  upon 
the  plan  proposed.     The   Society  was  organized,  and   the 


PRESBTTEKIAN   CHURCH   IN   GEORGIA.  31 

proceedings  took  place  according  to  the  accompanying 
printed  circular,  as  then  agreed  on." 

I  here  insert  this  circular  as  embodying  the  views  of  these 
fathers  of  the  Church,  none  of  whom  are  now  living,  with  a 
single  exception. 

It  is  proper  here  to  note  that  the  Georgia  Educational 
Society  was  catholic,  not  denominational,  addressing  itself 
to  all  pious  and  benevolent  persons  of  every  name  throughout 
the  State.  Its  officers  were  taken  from  different  denomina- 
tions. During  its  existence,  it  extended  aid  to  others  having 
the  ministry  in  view,  besides  Presbyterians.  Nor  did  it  cease 
its  operations  in  this  respect  until  the  different  denominations 
of  Christians  in  the  State  had  made  provision  for  the  educa- 
tion of  their  own  ministry  by  founding  institutions  of  their 
own.  It  was  thus  instrumental  in  awaking  the  mind  of  the 
Christian  Church  to  the  importance  of  ministerial  education, 
and  has  accomplished  incalculable  good  to  the  cause  of 
religion  by  furnishing  to  the  Churches,  of  all  the  leading 
denominations,  an  enlightened  ministry. 

The  circular  embodies  the  reasons  for  such  organization. 
It  was  addressed  to  individuals  and  the  Churches  generally, 
in  the  following  terms : 

"  The  plans  of  benevolence  which  constitutes  the  glory  of 
the  day  in  which  we  live,  are  so  numerous,  that  to  obtrude 
another  on  your  consideration,  with  any  expectation  of 
patronage,  would  be  presumption,  were  we  not  persuaded  of 
its  importance  and  practical  utility.  It  is  a  duty  which  we 
owe  to  you  and  to  the  public,  to  give  a  concise  statement  of 
facts  which  have  led  to  the  formation  of  a  Society,  the 
Constitution  of  which  is  herewith  transmitted. 

"  We  need  not  inform  you  that  the  number  of  able  and 
faithful  ministers  of  the  gospel  among  us  by  no  means 
increases  with  the  increasing  population  of  the  State ;  that 
many  of  our  Churches,  already  organized,  are  comparatively 
destitute  of  the  ordinances  of  the  gospel,  and  that  many 


32  PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH   IN   GEORGIA. 


more  might  be  established  if  they  could  be  supplied  with  the 
Word  of  Life.  We  have  looked  anxiously  for  this  supply 
from  those  institutions  in  the  more  favored  sections  of  our 
country,  whose  laudable  object  it  is  to  aid  young  men  of 
piety  and  talents  in  acquiring  an  education  suitable  for  the 
gospel  ministry  ;  but  our  expectations  have  not  been  realized. 
In  aid  of  these  institutions  the  citizens  of  Georgia  have  here- 
tofore contributed  with  their  accustomed  liberality ;  but  a 
general  impression  at  present  prevails  that  our  benevolence 
should  be  less  diffusive,  and  that  our  exertions  should  be 
principally  concentrated  in  building  up  our  own  Zion,  and 
repairing  her  waste  places. 

"  In  the  different  denominations  of  Christians  in  our  State, 
we  are.  personally  sCcquainted  with  young  men  of  piety  and 
talents  who  would  gladly  labor  in  the  vineyard  of  Christ, 
but  who  are  unable  to  incur  the  expense  of  an  education 
preparatory  to  the  work.  Unless,  therefore,  some  benevo- 
lent individuals  or  some  Society  shall  take  them  under  their 
patronage,  their  usefulness  will  be  limited  to  the  obscure 
walks  of  private  life. 

"  You  will  doubtless  concur  in  the  sentiment,  that  with 
the  progress  of  literary  improvement  in  any  country,  the 
prosperity  of  religion  requires  a  similar  improvement  in  the 
ministry.  Whilst  we  rejoice  in  the  good  which  many  pious 
and  zealous  defenders  of  the  faith  have  been  enabled,  by  the 
blessing  of  God,  to  effect,  whose  opportunities  in  early  life  were 
limited,  we  cannot  avoid  asking  how  much  more  good  they 
might  have  done  if  to  the  same  piety  and  zeal  had  been 
united  the  learning  of  a  Gill,  a  Wesley,  or  a  Dwight  ?  Our 
object,  in  short,  is  the  supply  of  our  own  Churches  with 
pious  and  able  ministers  of  the  gospel,  to  bring  to  light 
talents  that  are  concealed  under  the  mask  of  poverty,  and 
to  encourage  young  men  of  piety  and  talents  to  engage  in 
that  glorious  cause,  the  fruits  of  which  will  remain  forever. 
"  As  our  interests  are  identified  with  the  interest  of  this 


PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH   IN   GEORSIA.  33 

State ;  as  its  political  and  literary  institutions  are  dear  to  us, 
and  as  the  religion  of  the  gospel,  ably  and  faithfully  preached, 
is  calculated  to  secure  a  continuance  of  these  blessings  which 
we  now  enjoy — shall  we  not  use  our  exertions  to  raise  up 
those  among  us  who  shall  '  point  to  heaven  and  lead  the 
way  ?  '  And  may  we  not  expect  your  hearty  concurrence 
and  liberal  patronage?" 

The  circular  was  issued  in  May,  and  the  Committee  met 
according  to  adjournment,  in  Athens,  on  the  7th  of  the 
following  August,  and  after  some  deliberation,  adjourned  tO' 
meet  the  next  day  in  the  College  Chapel. 

On  the  8th  of  August,  1823,  the  Committee  met,  together 
with  a  number  of  the  citizens  of  Athens  and  gentlemen  from* 
different  parts  of  the  State,  it  being  the  Annual  Commence- 
ment week  of  the  College.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Waddel  was  in  the 
Chair,  and  the  Rev.  Thomas  Goulding,  Secretary.  A  Con- 
stitution was  proposed  as  a  substitute  for  one  which  had  been 
previously  submitted,  which  on  motion  of  the  Rev.  Benjamin 
Gildersleeve,  seconded  by  Rev.  Thomas  Goulding,  was- 
adopted. 

It  would  occupy  too  much  space  to  give  the  Constitutioa 
at  length ;  I,  therefore,  present  a  brief  synopsis  of  its  most 
important  features. 

After  designating  the  usual  officers  and  their  duties,  the 
second  article  declares  that  the  object  of  the  Society  shall  be 
to  aid  young  men  of  hopeful  piety  and  talents  in  acquiring 
an  education  suitable  for  the  gospel  ministry.  The  eighth 
article  provides  that  no  person  shall  be  a  beneficiary  of  the 
Society  unless  he  be  in  the  communion  of  some  Church,  and 
signify  his  desire  of  entering  upon  the  work  of  the  ministry, 
and  also  exhibit  testimonials  both  of  his  talents  and  real 
indigence.  The  ninth  article  grants  liberty  to  beneficiaries 
to  prosecute  their  studies  either  in  the  College  at  Athens,  or 
in  any  respectable  academy,  or  under  a  private  instructor. 
The  tenth  article  requires  every  beneficiary  to  give  an  obli- 
3 


34  PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH   IN    GEORGIA. 

gation  to  the  Society  for  the  monies  which  he  shall  receive 
from  time  to  time,  which  obligation  should  be  null  and  void, 
provided  he  prosecuted  his  studies  preparatory  to  the  ministry 
with  diligence,  or  enter  upon  the  duties  of  that  office  within 
any  time  which  the  directors  may  deem  reasonable,  otherwise 
to  remain  in  full  force  and  eifect.  The  eleventh  article 
declares  that  no  beneficiary  shall  be  entitled  to  a  continu- 
ance of  the  patronage  of  the  Society,  unless  once  a  year,  or 
oftener  if  required,  he  shall  furnish  a  certificate  from  his 
instructor  of  his  proficiency,  together  with  his  moral  and 
Christian  deportment,  which  shall  be  satisfactory  to  the 
directors.  These  articles  embrace  all  the  important  princi- 
ples of  the  Society. 

The  Constitution  having  been  unanimously  adopted,  the 
Society  proceeded  to  the  election  of  officers,  which  resulted 
as  follows :  ' 

Maj.  Abraham  Walker,  President. 

Rev.  Dr.  Moses  Waddel,        1st  Vice  President. 

Rev.  Dr.  Francis  Cummins,  2d 

Rev.  Dr.  John  Brown, 

Rev.  William  McWhir, 

Rev.  William  T.  Brantly, 

Rev.  Peter  Gautier, 

Rev.  Abiel  Carter, 

Corresponding  Secretary — Rev.  Thomas  Goulding. 

Recording  jSecretary-^Moses  W.  Dobbins. 

Treasurer — Dr.  James  Nisbet. 
Directors. — James  Nephew,  Joseph  Law,  Joseph  Cum- 
ming,  Samuel  Dowse,  Thomas  Gumming,  Andrew  Semmes, 
Joseph  Bryan,  Benjamin  Gildersleeve,  John  Nisbet,  Stephen 
Upson,  Alonzo  Church,  John  R.  Goulding,  Thomas  W. 
Stanley,  Hugh  Montgomery. 

The  Society,  thus  ushered  in  being,  was  prosperous  for 
many  years.  On  the  roll  of  its  beneficiaries  are  the  names 
of  Buch  men  as  Cassels,  Ingles,  Scott,  Saye,  Alexander  H. 


2d 

3d 

4th 

5th 

6th 

7th 

PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH   IN   GEORGIA.  35 

Stephens,    James    Johnson,    Crosby,    Freeman,     Caldwell, 
Montgomery,  etc.      Many  entered    the  ministry  who  have 
proved   a   rich  blessing   to   the   Church  of   Christ.     Some 
entered  as  beneficiaries  who  did  not  prosecute  their  studies 
to  the  end  of  the  prescribed  course.     Others  were  assisted 
who,  for  divers  reasons  best  known  to  themselves,  abandoned 
the  purpose  of  entering  upon  the  holy  office,  and  turned  to 
other   vocations.      Of  these,  some   have   attained  to  great 
distinction  and  influence  in  society.     It  educated,  at  least, 
one  who  became  a  Bishop  in  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church. 
I  have  already  stated  that  out  of  the  Georgia  Educational 
Society  arose  the  spirit  of  denominational  education,  which 
resulted  in  establishing  at  least  three  denominational  Col- 
leges.    The  public  attention  had  been  directed  at  this  time 
to  the  plan  of  Manual  Labor  Schools.     A  school  on  this  plan 
existed  somewhere  in  the  North,  which  was  represented  as 
having   been    successful.      It  was    supposed   that   such    an 
institution  would  greatly  lessen  the  expenses  of  education, 
and  thereby  afford  to  a  greater  number  of  the  less  aflluent 
classes  an  opportunity  of  obtaining  a  good  education.     The 
plan  was  thought  by  some   to   be  practicable,  and  it  was 
proposed  to  be  adopted  by  the  Society  as  a  less  expensive 
method,  at  least,  of  preparing  its  beneficiaries  for  the  College 
classes.     Accordingly,  in  the  fall  of  1832,  a  convention  was 
called  to  deliberate  on  the  question  of  establishing  such  a 
school.     After  a  careful  examination  of  the  subject  in  the 
light  of  all  the  information  it  possessed,  it  was  determined  to 
make  the  experiment.     For  this  purpose  a  tract  of  land  was 
bought   in   the  vicinity  of  Athens,   having  on   it  suitabfle 
buildings  and  other  appurtenances,  and  the  school  was  put  in 
operation  in  the  winter  or  spring  of  1833.      It  was  not, 
however,  very  successful.     It  was  thought  that  its  proximity 
to  the  College  prevented  its  prosperity.     It  was  found  that 
boys  who  labored  part  of  their  time  were  not  admitted,  as 
students,   to  social   equality  with  young  gentlemen  in  the 


36  PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH   IN   QEORGIA. 

University  classes.  After  languishing  until  1835,  it  iras 
resolved  to  break  up  the  school  and  remove  it  to  some  other 
point.  The  property  was  therefore  sold,  and  instead  of 
establishing  one  school,  the  proceeds  were  divided  between 
two — one  to  be  located  near  Lawrenceville,  Gwinnett  county, 
and  afterwards  known  as  the  Gwinnett  Institute,  and  the 
other  at  a  place  called  Midway,  between  Milledgeville  and 
Scottsborough,  both  upon  the  Manual  Labor  plan.  The 
Society  committed  a  great  blunder  in  this  attempt  to  sustain 
two  schools.  Had  its  energies  been  concentrated  on  one 
institution,  a  great  deal  of  trouble  and  waste  of  funds  had 
doubtlessly  been  avoided.  As  it  was,  neither  school  suc- 
ceeded well. 

It  was  found,  when  too  late,  that  the  Manual  Labor  system 
of  education,  although  attractive  in  theory,  was  impracticable. 
It  was  discovered  that  young  men  could  not,  or  would  not, 
work  and  study  too.  Like  many  other  beautiful  theories,  it 
soon  exploded,  and  was  everywhere  abandoned. 

The  former  of  these  schools  languished  for  a  few  years, 
and  then  died  of  inanity.  Those  who  had  the  control  of  the 
Midway  school,  after  a  year  or  two  of  ineffectual  struggle,  took 
it  into  their  heads  to  make  a  College  of  it,  for  which  a  charter 
was  granted  by  the  Georgia  Legislature  under  the  style  and 
title  of  "  Oglethorpe  University."  It  was  a  "University" 
only  on  paper.  It  had  no  endowment,  no  college  buildings, 
nor  faculty.  A  poor  piece  of  land  and  a  few  pine  trees 
constituted  all  its  riches.  But  its  founders,  reckless  of 
expense,  at  once  proceeded  to  erect  a  college  building  at  a  cost 
of  some  $40,000. 

By  improvident  management  in  the  first  years  of  its  exis- 
tence, it  became  involved  in  great  financial  difficulties.  At 
first  it  was  placed  under  the  supervision  of  Hopewell  Pres- 
bytery, and  afterwards  transferred  l^o  the  care  of  the  Synod 
of  South  Carolina  and  Georgia.  After  years  of  trial  and 
monetary  difficulties,  it  was  freed  from  them  by  the  labors, 


PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH    IN   GEORGIA.  37 


principally,  of  its  financial  agent,  the  Rev.  R.  Chamberlain. 
After  the  division  of  the  Synod  of  South  Carolina  and 
Georgia,  the  Synod  of  South  Carolina,  the  Synod  of  ^eorgia, 
and  the  Synod  of  Alabama,  became  joint  proprietors  and 
supervisors,  each  being  represented  in  the  Board  of  Trust, 
and  endowing  a  Professorship.  Its  first  President  was  the 
Rev.  Carlisle  P.  Beman,  D.D. ;  upon  whose  retirement,  the 
Rev.  Samuel  R.  Talmage,  D.D.,  was  called  to  preside  over 
it,  and  under  whose  Presidency  it  attained  a  good  degree  of 
prosperity.  It  was  greatly  favored  with  seasons  of  refresh- 
ing from  on  high,  by  which  a  large  number  of  its  pupils 
became  hopefully  pious,  a  goodly  proportion  of  whom  entered 
the  holy  ministry.  For  some  years  a  larger  number  of 
students  in  the  classes  of  the  Theological  Seminary  at 
Columbia  were  from  Oglethorpe  than  any  other  institution. 
Its  alumni  compared  favorably,  in  point  of  scholarship  and 
efiiciency,  with  any  other  College  in  the  land. 

In  consequence  of  the  death  of  the  lamented  Talmage,  and 
the  war — by  which  it  has  lost  a  large  part  of  its  endowment — 
it  is  at  present  doing  little  for  the  cause  of  education.  A 
movement  is  on  foot  to  resuscitate  it,  and,  I  trust,  will  prove 
successful.  As  a  denomination,  a  College  of  our  own  is 
indispensable.  The  impression  has  generally  obtained  that 
the  location  of  the  College  is  unfavorable.  This  is  probably 
true.  It  needs  more  local  patronage.  This  it  cannot  have 
where  it  is  at  present.  It  should  be  within,  or  in  the  imme- 
diate vicinity  of  some  city  or  large  town,  from  whence  it 
might  obtain  a  constant  supply  of  students.  It  should  also 
have  a  more  central  and  healthy  habitation.  The  question 
of  its  removal  has  been  agitated  for  years.  Probably  noth- 
ing will  be  effected  in  this  direction  until  times  shall  favor  its 
re-endowment. 

Looking  back  to  the  formation  of  the  Georgia  Educational 
Society,  and  weighing  its  results,  we  are  constrained  to 
regard  it  as  among  the  most  influential  agencies  promotive 


38  PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH   IN    GEORGIA. 

of  the  prosperity  of  our  Church  in  the  State.  The  benefits 
derived  from  it  are  incalculable.  Eternity  alone  can  reveal 
them  all.  To  thousands  the  gospel  has  been  carried  with 
saving  effect  by  those  who  have  been  nurtured  by  it,  either 
directly  or  indirectly. 

The  Presbytery  of  Hopewell  contained,  in  1825,  twelve 
ministers.  It  was  during  its  spring  Sessions  at  Lexington, 
that  the  first  step  was  taken  towards  the  organization  of  a 
Domestic  Missionary  Society.  A  committee,  consisting  of  the 
Rev.  Drs.  Brown  and  Waddel  and  Rev.  William  Moderwell, 
was  appointed  to  inquire  into  the  expediency  of  establishing 
a  Domestic  Missionary  Society.  The  committee  thereafter 
reported:  That  in  their  opinion,  the  establishment  of  such  a 
Society  is  both  practicable  and  expedient,  and  suggested  the 
appointing  a  committee  to  draft  a  Constitution,  and  make  the 
necessary  arrangements  for  its  organization.  Rev.  Drs. 
Brown  and  Waddel,  and  liev.  Messrs.  Moderwell,  Church 
and  Gildersleeve,  were  appointed  that  committee,  and  directed 
to  report  before  the  close  of  its  present  Sessions.  The  com- 
mittee subsequently  reported  a  Constitution,  which  was 
adopted.  The  second  article  of  this  Constitution  declared 
that  the  object  of  the  Society  "  shall  be  to  send  ministers 
wherever  they  think  it  expedient  within  the  State,  and  to 
assist  in  building  up  feeble  Churches."  By  the  eleventh 
article,  the  compensation  of  missionaries  was  to  be  fixed  by 
the  Board  of  Directors,  subject  to  the  control  of  the  Society 
at  its  annual  meeting. 

Of  this  Society,  Joseph  Bryan,  of  Mount  Zion,  was 
chosen  President ;  Augustus  Moore,  of  Augusta,  Treasurer ; 
Rev.  Mr.  Moderwell,  Corresponding  Secretary,  and  Rev.  B. 
Gildersleeve,  Recording  Secretary.  Joseph  C.  Stiles,  who 
had  been  licensed  at  that  session  of  the  Presbytery,  was 
appointed  its  general  agent  to  collect  funds  and  form  auxiliary 
societies.  The  receipts  of  the  society  the  first  year  were 
about  $400.     Stiles  seems  to  have  been  the  only  missionary 


PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH    IN    GEORGIA.  39 

in  their  employ.  In  their  first  annual  report,  they  complain 
of  the  difficulty  of  obtaining  suitable,  laborers.  In  their 
second  year,  they  employed  four  missionaries  at  a  compen- 
sation of  $40  per  month.  The  Society  accomplished  a  gtiod 
work  in  succeeding  years,  employing  many  efficient  men  as 
hiissionaries,  and  founding  and  fostering  Churches  in  the 
more  recently  acquired  territories  in  the  south-western 
portion  of  the  State.  In  glancing  at  the  records  of  the 
Society,  many  familiar  names  meet  our  eye  on  the  roll  of  its 
missionaries,  such  as  Patterson,  Williams,  Carter,  Quillian 
Galaher,  Scott,  Lanier,  Jehiel  and  James  Talmage,  McAlpin, 
Baker,  Stratton,  etc.;  and  we  find  such  Churches  as  Columbus, 
LaGrange,  Newnan,  McDonough,  Alcovia,  Hopewell  (Craw- 
ford,) Forsyth,  Jackson,  etc.,  sharing  in  its  benefactions.  In 
more  recent  years,  it  has  received  at  least  one  valuable 
legacy. 

We  find  the  Presbytery  at  this  time  (1825)  inaugurating  a 
system  of  protracted  meetings,  or  rather,  camp-meetings, 
from  which  resulted  great  good  to  the  cause  of  Presbyterian- 
isra.  An  extract  from  their  minutes  will  show  their  reasons 
for  this  measure :  "Whereas,  the  members  of  our  Churches 
within  the  bounds  of  this  Presbytery  are  few,  and  scattered 
over  a  comparatively  large  surface  of  country ;  and  Whereas, 
great  advantage  has  arisen  to  Churches  from  meeting  to- 
gether, and  holding  Christian  communion  with  each  other  in 
the  enjoyment  of  gospel  ordinances:  it  is,  therefore,  Jlesolved, 
That  the  Presbytery  recommend  to  the  brethren,  and  to  the 
Churches  under  our  care,  to  meet  together  in  as  large  numbers 
as  may  be  convenient,  at  least  once  a  year,  on  sacramental 
occasions,  and  that  our  ancient  custom  of  fasting,  humilia- 
tion and  prayer,  on  such  occasions,  may  be  revived  as  far  as 
expedient." 

In  the  more  densely  settled  regions  of  country,  and  where 
houses  of  worship  have  been  erected  sufficiently  spacious  for  the 
accommodation  of  the  people,  and  where  the  ordinances  of  the 


40  PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH   IN    GEORGIA. 

gospel  are  regularly  administered,  such  convocations  are  unne- 
cessary; but  in  the  condition  of  our  Church  in  Georgia,  at  that 
period,  such  a  system  was  highly  expedient,  and  was  attended 
with  the  most  beneficial  results.  Thousands,  oftimes,  assem- 
bled at  these  meetings,  and  spent  usually  four  or  five  days 
in  prayer  and  praise,  and  preaching  and  hearing.  These 
occasions  furnished  thousands  an  Opportunity  of  learning 
^hat  Presbyterianism  was,  who  otherAvise  would  never  have 
possessed  any  intelligent  idea  of  its  doctrines  or  polity. 
Presbyterians  from  a  long  distance  in  the  surrounding  coun- 
try came  together,  and  formed  a  personal  acquaintance,  which 
otherwise  had  never  existed.  They  learned  to  love  each 
other.  They  entertained  for  each  other  afterwards  an 
undying  aff'ection.  It  rendered  the  Churches  more  homoge- 
neous, and  cemented  them  in  bonds  of  Christian  friendship. 
Christians  in  that  day  were  not  as  in  ours,  cold  and  formal, 
neither  knowing  nor  caring  for  each  other's  welfare.  In  the 
spirit  of  the  Apostle's  injunction,  they  "  looked  not  every 
man  on  his  own  things,  but  every  man  also  on  the  things  of 
others."  They  sympathized  with  and  prayed  for  each  other. 
That  selfish  iceberg  coldness,  which  pervades  Christian 
society  in  this  day,  was  then  unknown.  Soul  mingled  with 
soul  like  kindred  drops  of  water.  Well  do  we  remember 
the  closing  scenes  of  many  of  these  holy  convocations.  When 
the  parting  hour  came,  what  tender  farewells  were  uttered  ! 
what  warm  expressions  of  Christian  love  and  esteem  were 
exchanged  between  those  who  had  come  together  as  utter 
strangers !  With  what  spirit  and  deep  emotion  have  we 
heard  the  great  congregation  unite  with  one  heart  and  one 
voice  in  singing  their  parting  song : 

"  Blest  be  the  tie  that  binds 
Our  hearts  in  Christian  love; 
The  fellowship  of  kindred  minds 
Is  like  to  that  above. 

"  We  share  our  mutual  woes, 
Our  mutual  burdens  bear, 


PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH   IN    GEORGIA.  41 

And  often  for  each  other  flows 
The  sympathizing  tear. 

"  When  we  asunder  part, 
It  gives  US  inward  pain; 
But  we  shall  still  be  joined  in  heart, 
And  hope  to  meet  again." 

These  seasons  of  Christian  communion  were  oftentimes  not 
inappropriately  called  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles,  when,  like 
the  Jews,  the  people  retired  from  their  homes  and  dwelt  in 
tents  or  booths,  leaving  all  their  secular  cares  behind,  and 
devoting  the  time  exclusively  to  the  worship  of  God  in  the 
great  temple  of  Nature.  As  that  season  was  "to  the  pious 
Jew,  a  season  of  "  marked  and  decided  indications  of  joy,"  so 
were  these  assemblages  rich  in  comfort  and  spiritual  blessings 
to  multitudes  who  would  otherwise  have  been  entirely  deprived 
of  the  ordinances.  These  meetings  were  often  signally  blest 
by  the  outpourings  of  the  Divine  Spirit  and  the  conversion 
of  multitudes  of  souls.  Not  infrequently  fifty  to  an  hundred 
souls  would  be  brought  to  confess  Christ.  Even  distant 
Churches  were  strengthened  and  builded  up,  so  as  soon  to  be 
able  to  sustain  pastors.  Thus  the  banner  of  the  Cross  was 
planted  in  places  where  a  personal  ministry  had  been 
unknown. 

Many,  it  is  true,  attended  these  gatherings  who  received 
no  benefit  from  the  services.  They  came  not  with  a  desire 
to  be  benefitted.  They  came  to  look  on,  or  even  for  worse 
purposes.  Many  of  them  were  of  the  "  baser  sort."  But  it 
rarely  happened  to  hear  of  any  outrages  on  the  part  of  such 
at  Presbyterian  meetings,  whatever  has  characterized  such 
convocations  of  other  denominations.  It  has  generally  been 
observed,  that  those  who  are  orderly  themselves,  and  free 
from  extravagancies,  are  not  likely  to  be  assaulted  by  those 
inclined  to  produce  disturbance.  These  meetings  were,  in 
general,  characterized  by  deep  solemnity,  and  as  much  staid- 
ness  and  sobriety  as  are  witnessed  in  our  Sabbuth  congrega- 


42  PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH    IN    GEORGIA. 


■  tions  in  our  most  conservative  and  well  organized  Churches. 
Very  rarely  any  noise  or  confusion  broke  upon  the  stillness 
and  attention  of  the  waiting  Audience. 

About  the  close  of  the  eig^iteenth  and  beginning  of  the 
nineteenth  centuries,  there  were  camp-meetings  held  by 
Presbyterians  in  many  parts  of  the  country.  They  had  their 
origin  in  Kentucky,  in  the  year  1801,  during  the  great 
religious  revival  which  commenced  in  North  Carolina,  pene- 
trated into  Tennessee,  and  spread  over  all  the  West.*  They 
also  extended  into  South  Carolina.  Not  more  than  one  or 
two  was  held  in  Georgia,  near  the  close  of  these  camp-meet- 
ing times. 

*  It  so  happened  that,  on  one  occasion,  in  the  early  part  of  that  revival, 
so  many  people  had  come  from  a  distance  to  the  administi-ation  of  the 
Lord's  Supper  at  a  particular  Church,  that  accommodation  could  nowhere 
be  found  in  the  neighborhood  for  all,  during  the  successive  days  and 
nights  which  they  wished  to  spend  at  the  place.  This  induced  as  many 
as  could  to  procure  tents,  and  form  something  like  a  military  encamp- 
ment, when,  as  provisions  were  easily  to  be  had,  they  miglit  stay  till  the 
meetings  closed.  Such  was  the  origin  of  camp-meetings.  They  thus 
originated  in  sheer  necessity.  They  were  afterwards  held  at  various 
points  during  that  extraordinary  season  of  religious  solicitude.  The 
country  was  thinly  settled ;  deep  and  widespread  feeling  prevailed  on  the 
subject  of  religion;  many  persons  attended  from  distances  of  thirty,  forty, 
and  fifty  miles,  and  on  one  occasion,  some  came  from  a  distance  of  one 
hundred  miles.  These  meetings  were  held,  when  the  weather  permitted, 
in  the  midst  of  the  noble  forest.  Seals  were  made  of  logs  and  planks, 
the  under  rubbish  being  cleared  away;  a  pulpit  was  erected,  facing  the 
rows  of  seats;  and  there,  forenoon,  and  afternoon,  and  evening,  the 
ministers  of  the  gospel  made  known  the  ''  words  of  eternal  life."  Public 
prayer  was  also  held  at  the  same  spot,  early  in  ttie  morning  and  at  the 
close  of  the  services  at  night.  Lamps  were  suspended  at  night  from  the 
boughs  of  the  trees,  and  torches  blazed  from  stakes  eight  or  ten  feet  high, 
in  front  of  each  tent.  In  the  rear  of  the  tents,  morning  and  evening, 
such  simple  cooking  operations  as  were  necessary,  went  on.  Each  tent 
was  occupied  by  one  or  two  families.  A  horn  or  trumpet  announced  the 
hour  for  the  commencement  of  the  public  services.  Solemn  scenes 
occurred  at  these  meetiags,  such  as  might  well  have  caused  many  who 
scoffed  to  tremble.  They  were  confined  for  years  to  the  frontier  settle- 
ments. They  served  to  bring  together,  to  the  profit  of  immortal  souls, 
a  population  scattered  flir  and  wide. — BaircVa  Religion  in  America. 


PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH   IN    GEORGIA.  43 

These  meetings  were  sometimes  attended  by  strange  and 
marked  bodily  exercises,  such  as  have  not  been  witnessed  in 
latter  days  at  such  places — such  as  falling  or  striking  dotvn, 
in  which  the  individual  continued  for  hours,  and  sometimes 
even  for  a  day,  in  an  apparent  state  of  insensibility.  Occa- 
sionally they  were  perceived  to  pray,  and  sometimes  they 
would  cry  out.  Others  were  exercised  by  the  most  violent 
bodily  agitations,  to  which  the  vulgar  epithet  of  the  jerks 
was  given.* 

Some  have  attempted  to  account  for  these  strange  phe- 
nomena on  the  ground  of  nervous  exhaustion;  but  probably 
no  one  has  ever  arrived  at  any  true  and  satisfactory  reason 
for  these  bodily  motions.  They  generally  occurred,  but  not 
always,  in  religious  assemblages.  That  they  were  the  result 
of  divine  influences,  in  all  cases,  we  have  never  believed, 
since  many  who  were  the  subjects  of  them  never  afterwards 
manifested  any  piety ;  nor  did  those  who  professed  conver- 
sion, and  who  became  staid  and  sober  Christians  in  after 
life,  profess  to  have  had  any  deep  convictions  of  sin,  or 
overwhelming  views  of  guilt,  at  the  time  of  their  prostration, 
nor  to  have  received  any  illumination,  or  other  spiritual 
manifestation  at  the  time.  Yet,  it  is  by  no  means  proved 
that  it  was  all  fanaticism  and  delusion.  There  were,  beyond 
question,  many  true  conversions.  Was  it  a  disease?  or  was 
it  a  diabolical  influence  ?     We  know  not. 

In  the  meetings  recommended  by  the   Presbytery,  and 

*  It  cannot  be  denied  that  from  1799  to  1803,  in  this  revival  season, 
elsewhere  so  free  from  excitement,  there  were,  in  parts  of  Keutucliy  and 
Tennessee,  extraordinary  "bodily  exercises,  called  the  jerks,  falling 
down,"  etc.,  in  the  meetings,  which  the  enlightened  friends  of  the  work 
lamented,  and  which  excited  its  enemies  to  ridicule  and  blasphemy.  But 
it  must  be  remembered  that  these  physical  agitations  took  place  at  large 
camp-meetings,  in  which  were  gathered  all  the  elements  of  excitement 
from  ever}'  quarter,  and  which  were  continued,  day  and  night,  till  the 
consequent  exhaustion  of  the  multitudes,  in  a  great  measure,  took  away 
the  power  of  self-control. — Br.  Davidson's  State  of  the  Church. 


44  PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH    IN    GEORGIA. 

which  has  given  occasion  to  these  remarks,  no  such  extrava- 
gance was  ever  witnessed. 

We  are  not  the  advocate  of  these  meetings  under  all 
circumstances.  As  above  observed,  in  the  older  and  more 
densely  populated  portions  of  the  country,  they  are  altogether 
unnecessary ;  but  among  a  destitute  and  scattered  people,  as 
was  the  condition  of  society  in  Georgia  at  that  time,  they 
furnish  a  most  excellent  opportunity  for  spreading  abroad 
the  knowledge  of  Christ,  and  building  up  the  Church.  And 
this  is  especially  the  case  where  there  is  a  paucity  of  laborers 
to  gather  the  harvest.  It  has  been  largely  owing  to  such 
efforts  in  the  newly  settled  regions  of  the  State,  that  the 
Presbyterian  Church  has  been  planted  in  so  many  places. 

It  is  not  apparent  that  Hopewell  Presbytery  required  the 
Churches  under  its  care  to  send  up  their  sessional  records 
for  review  before  the  meeting  at  Lexington,  in  the  spring  of 
1825.  An  order  was  then  issued,  "  that  the  session  of  each 
Church  should  send  to  the  Presbytery,  at  its  annual  spring 
Sessions,  a  written  congregational  report,  together  with  its 
book  of  records."  Indeed,  in  the  early  days  of  the  Presby- 
tery, it  does  not  appear  to  have  very  carefully  regulated  its 
proceedings  by  ecclesiastical  law,  or  the  rules  of  legislative 
practice.  The  absence  of  members,  in  many  instances,  is 
not  noted  at  the  opening  of  its  Sessions.  Sometimes  the 
records  do  not  state  whether  the  Sessions  were  opened  or 
closed  with  prayer.  Doubtless  they  were,  and  thus  it  is  a 
clerical  omission.  No  memoirs  of  deceased  members  are 
recorded :  as,  for  instance,  it  is  simply  said  of  the  first 
minister  who  died  after  its  organization,  "  The  Rev.  John 
Newton  has  departed  this  life  since  our  last  sessions,"  and 
of  Mr.  Springer,  "  The  Rev.  John  Springer  has  deceased 
since  our  last  sessions."  In  our  day,  the  order  of  proceed- 
ings as  they  appear  from  the  minutes  of  this  body,  would  not 
pass  the  review  of  the  superior  ecclesiastical  court  without 
severe  animadversions. 


■  PKESBYTEEIAN  CHURCH  IN  GEORGIA.        45 

The  64th  Sessions  of  Hopewell  were  held  at  Fairview^ 
Gwinnett  county,  in  August,  1825.  This  was  evidence  of 
an  aggressive  movement.  This  was  new  territory.  Hitherto 
its  meetings  had  been  confined  to  the  older  portions  of  the 
State.  It  had  never  been  farther  west  than  the  county  of 
Jackson.  But  now  it  assembled  on  the  borders  of  the  Chat- 
tahoochee, in  what  had  been  recently  Indian  country.  Here 
a  small  Church  had  been  gathered  of  emigrants  from  other 
regions,  and  here  a  pastor  was  to  be  installed.  At  this  Pres- 
bytery there  were  present  nine  ministers  and  four  elders. 
Besides  the  installation  and  receiving  the  trials  of  several 
young  men  under  their  care,  the  Presbytery  appointed  two 
committees  to  report  at  the  next  Sessions — the  first  in  rela- 
tion to  the  propriety  of  singing  a  psalm  or  hymn  whilst  com- 
municants were  assembling  around  the  table  of  our  Lord,  and 
the  second  "to  enquire  into  the  propriety  of  having  a  regular 
and  uniform  mode  of  making  a  public  profession  of  religion 
on  entering  into  full  membership  of  the  Church."  Two  inter- 
mediate meetings  were  held  before  the  spring  Sessions — one 
at  Monticello,  1st  September,  1825,  and  one  at  Washington, 
Wilkes  county,  December  15th,  1825.  These  meetings  were 
held  for  judicial  purposes.  The  spring  Sessions  were  held  at 
Mount  Zion  the  7th  April,  1826,  at  which  eleven  ministers 
were  present  .and  four  elders.  At  this  Presbytery  the  com- 
mittee appointed  to  enquire  into  the  expediency  of  having  a 
uniform  method  of  receiving  members  into  fellowship  with 
the  Church  reported. 

This  subject  elicited  some  debate.  Its  propriety  was  ques- 
tioned. It  was  then,  and  has  been  since,  condemned  in  many 
parts  of  the  Church,  on  the  ground  that  such  a  formula  was 
a  kind  of  abbreviated  creed,  and  inconsistent  with  the  practice 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  as  opening  a  door  to  error  in 
doctrine.  In  some  places  this  has  probably  been  the  case, 
but  generally,  no  such  evil  has  attended  its  adoption.  It  has 
been    charged  that  it  is  a  congregational  dogma.     This  is 


46  PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH    IN    GEORGIA. 

probably  in  some  measure  true,  as  many  practices  have  been 
foisted  into  the  Presbyterian  Church  from  the  shops  of  Con- 
gregationalism, which  never  had  any  sound  Presbyterian 
authority.  Such  a  thing  has  never  obtained  in  the  Church  of 
Scotland;  nor  was  it  known  in  our  Church  in  its  earlier  days. 
The  committee  say  in  their  report,  that  after  "  the  most 
serious  deliberation  they  are  of  opinion,  in  all  things  which 
are  to  be  considered  as  mere  matters  of  decency  and  order  in 
the  government  and  discipline  of  the  Church,  and  concerning 
which  no  particular  and  express  rules  or  examples  are  given 
in  the  Scriptures,  that  a  difference  in  modes  and  forms  ought 
not  to  be  a  bar  to  communion,  or  infringe  on  the  mainte- 
nance of  the  unity  of  the  Christian  spirit  in  the  bonds  of  peace 
and  love.  That  however  the  external  forms  may  be  differ- 
ent as  the  circumstances  of  the  Church  may  differ,  or  as 
different  errors  or  vices  prevail  on  that  account,  it  may  be 
expedient  for  the  Church  of  Christ  to  lift  up  her  testimony, 
and  guard  against  them,  in  that  way  which  may  be  deemed 
most  effectual." 

Yet  the  committee  was  fully  of  opinion  that  those  who  have 
been  received  into  membership  of  the  Church,  by  satisfying 
the  Church  officers  of  their  soundness  in  the  faith,  their  own 
experience  of  a  saving  work  of  grace  in  the  heart,  and  an 
orderly  life  and  conversation  before  the  Church,  and  the  world, 
are  justly  entitled  to  all  the  privileges  and  benefits  of  Church 
membership,  whether  they  have,  or  have  not  made  a  public 
profession  in  the  midst  of  a  congregation  at  the  time  of  their 
initiation.  Nevertheless  the  committee  was  of  opinion  that 
uniformity,  even  in  these  things,  which  are  merely  circum- 
stantial, is  very  desirable,  and  that  making  a  public  and  open 
profession  of  the  faith  of  the  gospel  in  a  congregation  of 
Christian  worshippers,  is  that  of  which_^no  one  need  or  ought 
to  be  ashamed,  who  is  duly  qualified  by  grace  for  the  enjoy- 
ment of  gospel  ordinances. 

The  committee,  therefore,  recommended  that  a  public  dec- 


PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH    IN    GEORGIA.  47 

laration  of  faith  in  Christ,  and  obedience  to  Him  of  some  bind, 
should  be  practised,  wherever  it  might  be  done  without  injury 
to  the  cause  or  the  feelings  of  those  concerned. 

The  formula  of  admission  was  presented  by  the  same  com- 
mittee, and  I  presume  adopted,  though  such  does  not  appear 
from  the  minutes  to  have  been  the  fact.* 

*It  is  probable  that  few  in  the  present  day,  either  ministers  or  private 
members  have  ever  seen,  or  know  of  the  existence  of  such  a  formula.  1 
have  thought  proper  to  append  it  in  a  note.  Most  of  our  ministers  have 
some  form,  either  prepared  by  themselves  or  obtained  from  some  other 
quarter.  I  think,  if  used  at  all,  there  should  be  a  good  degree  of  unifor- 
mity.    The  following  is  the  form  recommended  by  the  committee; 

"  Candidates  for  admission,  having  been  previously  examined  as  to 
their  soundness  in  the  faith,  and  experimental  acquaintance  wiih  religion, 
and  the  motives  which  influenced  them  to  desire  membership  in  the 
Church,  and  the  Elders  having  been  satisfied  as  to  their  orderly  deport- 
ment and  moral  character,  shall  be  requested,  before  or  after  sermon,  to 
present  themselves  in  the  presence  of  the  congregation,  and  the  minister 
shall  address  them  in  following  or  like  form : 

You  have  now  presented  yourselves  before  God  and  this  congregation 
to  dedicate  yourselves  to  the  service  of  the  Almighty,  and  to  become  in- 
corporated with  his  visible  Church  :  In  doing  this,  you  profess  to  love 
God  supremely ;  that  you  repent  of  your  sins  ;  that  you  rely  on  the  ability 
and  willingness  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  to  save  such  as  come  unto  Him  ; 
and  that  you  rely  on  Divine  aid  to  assist  you  in  walking  in  the  com- 
mandments and  ordinances  of  the  gospel  of  Christ.  The  transaction  is 
solemn  in  its  nature,  and  will  be  followed  by  eternal  consequences.  We 
trust  you  have  seriously  considered  the  nature  of  the  professions  and  en- 
gagements you  are  about  to  make,  together  with  the  character  proper  to 
be  sustained,  and  the  duties  to  be  performed  by  you  as  members  of  the 
Church  of  Christ.  And  you  may  come  to  God  with  holy  boldness,  in  the 
name  of  Christ,  who  is  rich  in  mercy  to  all  those  who  call  upon  him. 
And,  indeed,  you  may  freely  venture  to  commit  yourselves  to  his  care, 
and  trust  in  his  faithfulness  for  strength  to  fulfill  3'our  engagements. 

The  minister  shall  then  propose  to  the  candidate  the  following  ques- 
tions : 

1.  Do  you  believe  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New  Testament  to  be 
the  word  of  God— the  only  infallible  rule  of  faith  and  practice? 

2.  Do  you  sincerely  adopt  the  Confession  of  Faith  of  this  Church,  as 
containing  the  system  of  doctrine  taught  in  the  Holy  Scriptures? 

3.  Do  you  approve  of  the  government  and  discipline  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church  in  these  United  States  ? 


48  PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH    IN   GEORCflA. 


In  relation  to  this  and  every  other  formula,  I  have  ever  felt 
one  strong  objection.  No  one  should  be  required  to  assent  or 
subscribe  to  a  thing  of  which  he  is  ignorant :  And  these 
articles  of  profession  are  generally  imposed  upon  persons  who 
are  ignorant  of  their  contents.  It  can  then  be  nothing  but  a 
blind  assent.     It  is  not  an  intelligent  profession. 

If  such  a  profession  must  be  made,  the  candidate  should 
certainly  be  informed,  beforehand,  of  the  doctrines  and  prin- 
ciples he  is  required  to  adopt,  otherwise  he  is  solemnly  called 
upon  blindly  to  subscribe  to  a  creed  which  he  has  never  ma- 

4.  Do  you  promise  to  study  the  peace,  unity  aud  purity  of  the  Church  ? 

5.  Do  you  promise  to  love  the  Christian  brotherhood,  and  due  subjec- 
tion to  the  exercise  of  lawful  authority  in  the  Church,  for  conscience 
sake  ? 

These  questions  having  been  answered  in  the  affirmative,  the  minister 
shall  address  himself  to  the  candidates  in  the  following  or  like  terms: 

In  the  name  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  by  the  authority  he  hath 
given  to  the  Church  for  edification,  we  do  receive  you  as  members  of  his 
visible  Church,  and  declare  you  entitled  to  all  its  privileges,  and  welcome 
you  to  fellowship  with  us  in  all  the  blessings  of  the  gospel :  And  for  this 
purpose,  may  the  blessing  of  God  rest  upon  you,  and  the  spirit  of  Christ 
fill  your  heart.    Amen. 

And  now,  brethren,  we  commend  you  to  God,  and  to  the  word  of  his 
grace.  Let  it  be  impressed  upon  your  minds,  that  you  have  entered  into 
solemn  engagements  from  which  you  can  never  be  released.  Wherever 
you  may  be,  the  obligations  of  Christ  and  His  Church,  to  which  you  have 
now  given  your  pledge,  will  rest  upon  you ;  they  will  follow  you  through 
life,  to  the  bar  of  God,  and  throughout  eternitj'.  Henceforward,  as  you 
conduct  yourselves  in  life,  religion  will  be  honored  or  disgraced.  If  you 
live  according  to  the  gospel,  you  will  be  a  credit  and  a  comfort  to  us, 
and  to  all  the  Church  of  God.  May  Jehovah  bless  you  and  keep  you. 
May  He  lift  upon  you  the  light  of  His  countenance,  and  be  merciful  to  you. 
May  He  strengthen  you  in  your  passage  through  this  transitory  life,  and, 
when  this  warfare  is  ended,  may  we  all  be  brought  together  into  that 
happy  Church  where  our  communion  shall  be  perfect  and  our  joy  ever- 
lasting.   Amen. 

The  minister  and  elders  present  may  then  take  the  initiated  by  the 
hand  and  say :  We  give  you  the  right  hand  of  fellowship,  and  welcome 
you  to  communion  with  us.  And  may  your  communion  be  not  only  with 
us,  but  also  with  the  Father,  and  with  the  Son,  and  with  the  Holy  Ghost- 
Amen  " 


PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH   IN   GEORGIA.  49 

turely  considered,  and  which  he  may  afterward  feel  in  con- 
science bound  to  repudiate. 

This  is  little  better  than  Jesuitism.  Hence,  where  such  a 
plan  is  adopted,  the  formula  should  be  placed  in  the  hands  of 
the  candidate  that  he  may  have  opportunity  calmly  to  consider 
the  nature  of  the  obligations  he  is  about  to  assume.  This 
would  enable  him  to  make  an  intelligent  profession. 

At  this  session  the  Presbytery  recommended  the  Churches 
to  make  out  regular  calls  for  the  ministers  of  their  choice, 
wherever  it  was  practicable,  and  have  them  installed.  The 
object  of  this  recommendation  was  to  obviate  the  practice  of 
stated  supplies,  which,  though  very  general  in  our  day,  is  un- 
known to  the  Constitution  and  laws  of  our  Church,  and  has 
been  repeatedly  forbidden  by  our  highest  courts.* 

The  committee  appointed  the  preceding  August  to  consider 
the  propriety  of  singing  a  psalm  whilst  communicants  were 
assembling  around  the  Lord's  table,  reported,  that  they  could 
not  discover  any  justifiable  reason  why  the  practice  should 
be  either  prohibited  or  discontinued. 

A  system  of  Presbyterial  visitation  was  adopted ;  and  it  was 
resolved  that  the  ministers  of  the  Presbytery  go  two  and  two 
on  visitation  tours  to  the  Churches  in  the  several  counties 
where  our  Churches  existed,  and  that  the  Churches  be  in- 
formed of  the  time  and  purposes  of  their  coming.  This  was 
a  good  plan,  and  ought  to  be  adopted  by  all  the  Presbyteries. 

The  Presbyterial  Report,  prepared  to  be  sent  to  the  General 
Assembly  at  this  session,  shows  that  the  Presbytery  consisted 
of  fifteen  ministers,  four  licentiates  and  thirty-one  Churches ; 
that  it  had  four  beneficiaries  on  the  Education  Society,  pur- 
suing studies  at  Athens,  and  that  the  Missionary  Society  had 
four  missionaries  in  its  employ. 

It  is  cheering  to  note  these  advances  of  our  Church,  at  that 
time,  in  numbers  and  efficiency.  At 'the  next  meeting  still 
further  evidence  of  aggressiveness  was  manifest.     A  pastor 

*  See  Baird's  Digest,  pp.  90,  9^. 


50  PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH   IN    GEORGIA. 

was  ordained  and  settled  at  Milledgeville,  and  Churches  were 
reported  as  having  been  organized  at  Jackson,  Butts  county, 
and  Macon. 

The  Presbytery  continued  in  a  prosperous  condition,  grow- 
ing in  numbers  until  1831,  when  it  was  deemed  necessary  to 
divide  it,  as  it  had  become  rather  unwieldy  for  the  transaction' 
of  its  business  with  facility.  At  its  last  session,  prior  to  its 
division  by  the  Synod  of  South  Carolina  and  Georgia,  held  at 
Greensboro',  Ga.,  there  were  present  some  seventy  members, 
ministers  and  elders.  Some  were  present,  who  had  seen  its 
early  days,  and  when  it  could  hardly  gather  a  quorum  to  do 
business,  and  rejoiced  in  its  prosperity. 


THE  PRESBYTERY  OF  GEORGIA. 


The  Presbytery  of  Georgia,  as  at  present  constituted,  in- 
cludes little  more  than  the  sea-coast  of  the  State.  It  has, 
during  many  years,  been  a  small  Presbytery — a  small  terri- 
tory, few  ministers,  and  few  Churches.  It  has  not  always 
been  so.  Since  its  organization  it  has  undergone  many  and 
great  changes  of  boundaries. 

For  the  following  statements  I  am  indebted  to  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Buttolph,  of  that  Presbytery,  who  has  kindly  com- 
municated them  in  a  paper  drawn  up  by  the  late  Rev.  C.  C. 
Jones,  D.  D.  The  precision  of  Dr.  Jones  in  all  his  investiga- 
tions of  historical  facts,  guarantee  its  accuracy.  It  may  be 
observed  that  he  differs  in  his  account  of  the  origin  of  the 
Presbytery  from  that  usually  correct  work,  "  Baird's  Assem- 
bly's Digest."  In  that  book  it  is  represented  as  having  been 
erected  by  the  division  of  Hopewell.  Dr.  Jones  says  it  was 
formed  out  of  the  Presbytery  of  Harmony.  There  are  cir- 
cumstances, not  necessary  to  be  stated  here,  that  establish 
the  correctness  of  what  Dr.  Jones  has  written,  and  has  been 
entered  upon  the  records  of  the  Presbytery. 

The  following  is  the  paper  to  which  I  have  reference : 

"1.  Organization. — The  Presbytery  of  Georgia  was  formed 
out  of  the  Presbytery  of  Harmony,  and  set  off  as  a  Presbytery 
by  regular  act  of  the  Synod  of  South  Carolina  and  Georgia, 
at  Washington,  Wilkes  county,  Georgia,  November  9,  1821, 
agreeably  to  the  following  resolution :  '  Resolved,  by  this 
Synod,  That  the  members  who  have  been  set  off  from  the 
Presbytery  of  Harmony,  be  formed  into  a  Presbytery  by 
themselves,  to  be  known  by  the  name  of  the  Presbytery  of 
Georgia;  and  that  the  dividing  line  between  the  Hopewell 
and  Georgia  Presbyteries  commence  at  the  mouth  of  Little 


52  PKESBYTERIAN   CHURCH   IN   GEORGIA. 

River  and  run  in  a  southwest  direction,  leaving  the  countlea 
of  Columbia,  Warren,  Hancock  and  Baldwin,  and  all  the 
territory  below,  in  the  Presbytery  of  Georgia,  and  all  the 
counties  above  in  the  Presbytery  of  Hopewell :  And  that 
the  Rev.  Nathan  S.  S.  Beman,  who  is  now  a  member  of  Hope- 
well Presbytery,  be  dismissed  from  that  body  and  annexed 
to  the  Presbytery  of  Georgia.  It  is  understood,  likewise, 
that  the  licentiates  and  candidates  who  fall  within  the  bounds 
of  the  Presbytery  of  Georgia,  be  and  hereby  are  connected 
with  that  body.  It  is,  moreover,  ordered  by  this  Synod, 
that  the  Presbytery  constitute  at  1  o'clock,  p.  m.,  this  day, 
and  that  the  Rev.  N.  S.  S.  Beman  be  the  first  Moderator."* 
2.  Original  llembers.-^Uhe  original  members  thus  set 
off  were.  Rev.  William  McWhir,  who  was  received  into  the 
Harmony  Presbytery  from  the  Presbytery  of  Killileagh, 
county  of  Down,  Ireland,  upon  his  approving  and  consenting 
to  the  Confession  of  Faith  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the 
United  States  of  America.  He  was  received  at  the  meeting 
of  Presbytery  at  Columbia,  South  Carolina,  November  9, 
1815;  Rev.  Murdock  Murphy,  who  w^as  received  from  the 
Presbytery  of  Orange,  at  Savannah,  December  27,  1811  ; 
Rev.  Thomas  Gould  ing,  who  was  licensed  by  Presbytery  of 
Harmony,  at  Augusta,  Georgia,  October  31,  1813.  He  was 
ordained  and  installed  at  White  Bluff,  near  Savannah,  Janu- 
ary 21,  ISlGf;  Rev.  William  Moderwell  who  was  received  at 
Salem,  Black  River,  April  19,  1821,  from  the  Presbytery  of 
New  Castle;  Rev.  Samuel  S.  Davis,  who  was  received  at 
Augusta,  November  2, 1821,  from  the  Presbytery  of  Albany, 
New  York ;  and  Rev.  Remembrance  Chamberlain,  who  was 

*  See  Minutes  Pres.  Ga.:  pp.  1,  2. 

f  Is  White  Bluff  a  Presbyterian  Church  ?  It  would  seem  to  have  been 
such  originally,  from  the  fact  that  it  had  a  pastor  ordained  and  installed 
over  it  by  the  Presbytery  of  Harmouj-.  It  is  at  present  unknown  to  the 
Synod  of  Georgia  as  such,  never  having  been  reported  by  the  Presbytery 
of  Georgia. 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH   IN    GEORGIA.  53 

received  at  the  same  time  and  place  from  the  Addison  Asso- 
ciation, in  Vermont. 

These  ministers  were  set  oiF  from  Harmony  Presbytery,  to 
whom  the  Synod  united  the  Rev.  Nathan  S.  S.  Beman,  from 
Hopewell  Presbytery,  and  the  Rev.  Benjamin  Gildersleeve, 
who  fell  within  the  bounds  of  the  Presbytery  of  Georgia,  also 
of  Hopewell  Presbytery.  The  Presbytery  thus  constituted 
had  under  its  care  two  licentiates,  Mr.  James  Word  and  Mr. 
James  S.  Olcott;  and  one  candidate  for  the  ministry,  Mr. 
Carlisle  P.  Beman. 

3. — Bounds. — (1)  Original  bounds:  East,  it  was  bounded 
by  the  Savannah  River  and  the  Atlantic;  on  the  north  by 
the  counties  of  Lincoln,  Wilkes,  Taliaferro,  Green,  Putnam, 
Jasper,  Monroe,  Upson,  Talbot  and  Harris ;  on  the  west  by 
the  Chattahoochee  River,  and  stretching  south,  included  all 
the  Floridas. 

Within  Georgia,  the  Presbytery  embraced  forty-five  coun- 
ties, namely,  Columbia,  Warren,  Hancock,  Baldwin,  Jones, 
Bibb,  Crawford,  Marion,  Muscogee,  Houston,  Twiggs,  Wil- 
kinson, Washington,  Jefferson,  Richmond,  Burke,  Emanuel, 
Laurens,  Pulaski,  Dooly,  Sumter,  Stewart,  Randolph,  Lee, 
Early,  Baker,  Decatur,  Thomas,  Lowndes,  Ware,  L^win, 
Telfair,  Montgomery,  Scriven,  Bullock,  Tatnall,  Appling, 
Effingham,  Chatham,  Bryan,  Liberty,  Mcintosh,  Wayne, 
Glynn  and  Camden.  This  was  more  than  half  of  the  State 
as  it  then  existed. 

(2.)  First  alteration  of  hounds. — The  Synod,  in  1824, 
annexed  to  Hopewell  Presbytery  the  counties  north  and  west, 
beginning  with  Columbia,  Warren,  Hancock,  Baldwin,  Jones, 
Bibb,  Crawford,  Houston,  Twiggs,  Wilkinson,  Washington, 
Jefferson,  Richmond,  Burke,  Emanuel,  Laurens,  Pulaski, 
Montgomery — in  all  eighteen;  thereby  cutting  off  a  large 
number  of  Churches  and  ministers,  and  reducing  the  Presby- 
tery to  a  very  small,  body.  This  action  of  the  Synod  was 
objected  to  by  the  Presbytery  at  its  session  at  St.  Marys, 


54  PKESBYTERIAN   CHURCH    IN   GEORGIA. 

April,  1825,  and  a  delegate  appointed  to  present  the  com- 
plaint of  Presbytery  before  Synod  at  its  next  meeting,  and 
request  that  a  portion  of  its  territory  be  restored,  -which, 
however,  was  never  done, 

(3.)  The  second  alteration  of  its  boundary, — After  the  for- 
mation of  Flint  River  Presbytery,  out  of  Hopewell,  the 
Synod  established  the  line  between  the  Flint  River  and 
Georgia  Presbyteries,  at  its  meeting  in  Milledgeville,  Novem. 
ber,  1836,  by  the  following  resolution  :  "  That  it  be  a  right 
line  from  the  Ocmulgee  to  the  Flint  River,  commencing  at  the 
corner  of  Telfair  and  Irwin  counties,  opposite  Jacksonville, 
and  running  to  the  mouth  of  Flint  River."  This  act  cut  off 
from  the  Presbytery  of  Georgia  all  of  Early,  Randolph,  Lee, 
Stewart,  Sumter,  Marion  and  Muscogee — seven  counties — 
and  parts  of  Dooly,  Decatur  and  Baker — three  more. 

(4)  The  third  alteration  of  boundary — Was  on  the  petition 
of  the  Churches  in  Middle  Florida,  in  connection  with  the 
Presbytery  of  Georgia,  to  the  Synod,  which  petition  was  con- 
curred in  by  the  Presbytery,  in  compliance  with  which  the 
Synod  at  its  Sessions  in  Augusta,  November,  1840,  set  oflFthe 
counties  of  Baker,  Decatur,  Thomas  and  Lowndes,  together 
with  Middle  and  West  Florida,  into  a  new  Presbytery,  which 
received  the  name  of  the  Presbytery  of  Florida,  consisting  of 
four  counties  from  Georgia,  and  Middle  and  West  Florida. 

As  above  remarked,  the  Presbytery  of  Georgia  is  a  small 
body,  confined  to  the  sea  coast.  An  attempt  was  made  in 
1866,  to  restore  the  counties  in  Georgia,  namely,  Decatur, 
Thomas,  Lowndes,  Brooks,  &c.,  belonging  to  the  Florida 
Presbytery,  to  the  Presbytery  of  Georgia.  But  it  was  un- 
successfal.  Such  an  arrangement  would  greatly  strengthen 
the  Presbytery.  Its  most  efficient  Churches  are  the  First 
Church  of  Savannah,  the  Church  at  Mt.  Vernon,  Wayne 
coitnty,  and  the  Churches  of  Flemington  and  Walthourville, 
in  Liberty,  It  has  organizations  at  St.  Marys,  Brunswick, 
Bryan,  Darien,  and,  perhaps,  some  other  places,     St.  Marys 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH    IX    GEORGIA.  55 


and  Darien  were  desolated  by  tlie  war,  and  the  people  driven 
away. 

The  Presbytery  of  Georgia  has  been  distinguished  for  its 
successful  efforts  in  behalf  of  the  religious  instruction  of  the 
negroes.  The^work  was  inaugurated  by  that  body  under  the 
leadership  of  the  late  Dr.  C.  C.  Jones,  who  devoted  the 
larger  portion  of  his  ministerial  life  to  missionary  labors 
among  that  people. 

Other  Presbyteries  caught  the  spirit,  and  almost  every- 
where within  our  State,  and  in  many  other  places  vathin  other 
States,  much  attention  was  given  by  ministers  and  people  to 
this  good  work.  Almost  alLthe  young  men  reared  within  the 
bounds  of  that  Presbytery,  who  entered  the  ministry,  as  very 
many  have,  went  out  imbued  with  the  spirit  of  devotion  to 
that  cause.  A  Ladson,  of  Columbia,  and  a  Winn,  of  Miss- 
issippi, are  remembered  as  shining  examples  of  untiring  and 
successful  labors  in  this  department  of  the  Master's  work. 
The  results  of  the  war  has  closed  the  door,  at  least  for  the 
present,  in  this  direction. 


PRESBYTERY  OF  FLINT  RIVER. 


The  original  name  of  this  Presbytery  was  Ghood  Hopc^  but 
at  the  next  meeting  of  the  Synod  after  its  formation,  was 
changed  to  that  of  Flint  River. 

"At  the  meeting  of  the  Synod  of  South  Carolina  and 
Georgia,  held  in  Columbia,  South  Carolina,  on  the  fifth  day  of 
December,  eighteen  hundred  and  thirty-three,  the  resolution 
of  Hopewell  Presbytery  was  presented,  praying  the  Synod  to 
divide  said  Presbytery,  so  that  that  part  of  its  present  terri- 
tory included  between  the  Ocmulgee  and  Chattahoochee 
Rivers,  with  the  counties  of  Newton,  Walton,  Gwinnett, 
Campbell,  Carroll  and  Heard,  may  form  a  new  Presbytery, 
to  be  called  the  Presbytery  of  Good  Hope;  Whereupon,  it 
was  resolved  that  the  Presbytery  of  Hopewell  be  divided, 
according  to  the  resolution  of  that  body  in  April  last,  and 
that  the  part  of  the  Presbytery  now  called  Hopewell  on  the 
west  side  of  the  Ocmulgee  River,  together  with  the  counties 
aforesaid,  be  denominated  the  Presbytery  of  Good  Hope,  to 
meet  in  McDonough,  on  Thursday  before  the  fourth  Sabbath 
in  March  next,  at  11  o'clock,  A.  M.,  to  be  opened  with  a  ser- 
mon by  Edwin  Holt,  or  in  case  of  his  absence  by  the  senior 
member  present,  who  is  to  preside  until  a  Moderator  is  chosen." 

The  Presbytery  of  Hopewell  had  existed  thirty-seven  years 
without  any  formal  division  of  its  territory  or  alteration  of 
its  boundaries,  except  those  which  had  occurred  in  settling 
the  boundaries  of  Georgia  Presbytery.  Its  limits  had  been 
vastly  extended  by  the  addition  of  new  territories  in  the  west 
of  the  State.  In  1818,  its  western  boundaries  were  Franklin, 
Jackson,  Morgan,  Jones,  and  the  Ocmulgee  River.  By  the 
treaties  of  1818  and  1821,  they  were  carried  to  the  Chatta- 
hoochee River.  It  was  this  new  territory  which  was  now 
erected  into  a  new  Presbytery. 


PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH   IN   GEORGIA.  57 

The  Presbytery  of  Good  Hope  consisted  of  ten  members, 
to-wit :  Remembrance  Chamberlain,  John  S.  Wilson,  James 
Gamble,  Edwin  Holt,  James  C-  Patterson,  Thomas  F.  Scott, 
Joseph  Y.  Alexander,  John  Baker,  William  B.  Richards, 
and  Williana  K.  Patton.  Only  one  of  these  remained  in 
connection  with  it  until  its  recent  division  into  the  Presby- 
teries of  Atlanta  and  Macon.  Seven  of  them  have  died,  and 
two  transferred  their  relation  to  other  denominations — one  to 
the  Episcopalians,  and  one  to  the  Baptists.  Its  first  meeting 
was  held  at  McDonough,  Henry  county,  according  to  the 
direction  of  the  Synod,  and  was  opened  Avith  a  sermon  by 
Rev.  Edwin  Holt.  The  Rev.  James  C.  Patterson  was  elected 
Stated  Clerk,  which  office  he  held  till  his  death,  a  space  of 
thirty-three  years.  It  had  under  its  care  some  twenty-six 
Churches. 

From  its  first  annual  report  made  to  the  General  Assembly, 
we  are  able  to  gather  some  information  as  to  the  strength 
and  spiritual  condition  of  the  Churches.  In  that  report,  the 
Presbytery  said :  "  We  have  but  just  commenced  our  Pres- 
byterial  existence.  Our  communication  must  consist,  then,  ' 
less  of  what  we  have  done,  than  of  what  we  have  to  do.  Our 
Churches  are,  for  the  most  part,  small,  and  many  of  them 
labor  under  great  disadvantages  from  not  having  enjoyed, 
heretofore,  regular  systematic  pastoral  supervision.  They 
are  planted,  for  the  most  part,  in  desirable  situations,  where 
a  growing  population  holds  out  to  them  the  prospect  of  con- 
siderable enlargement,  and  presents  a  loud  demand  for  active 
labor.  The  fewness  of  the  laborers,  compared  with  the 
extent  of  the  field  and  the  distance  between  the  Churches, 
hold  out  serious  impediments  to  that  efficient  co-operation 
and  vigorous  extension  of  our  efi"orts  which  are  so  necessary 
to  the  increased  usefulness  of  our  Churches.  Our  denomina- 
tion, we  believe,  is  destined  to  exert  an  important  influence 
on  the  flourishing  counties  within  our  bounds.  Could  our 
destitute  Churches  procure  self-denying  and  faithful  ministers, 


58  PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH    IN    GEORGIA. 

and  could  the  favorable  openings  for  the  formation  of  new 
Churches  be  promptly  occupied  by  zealous,  active  laborers, 
we  may  expect  to  report,  at  the  close  of  the  year,  that  our 
Presbytery  has  extended  widely  her  ranks,  her  resources, 
and  her  influence." 

These  anticipations  were  very  partially  realized.  Though 
more  than  thirty-four  years  have  passed  since  these  utter- 
ances, very  much  of  the  land  yet  remains  to  be  possessed. 

The  subject  of  Domestic  Missions  and  Church  extension 
engaged  the  earnest  attention  of  this  Presbytery  from  the 
beginning.  At  its  first  meeting,  it  inaugurated  a  plan  for 
carrying  forward  the  work  by  organizing  a  Board  of  Missions, 
whose  duty  was  declared  to  be,  "to  ascertain  the  state  of 
all  the  feeble  and  destitute  Churches,  and  to  find  out  how 
much  each  one  may  be  able  or  willing  to  do  for  the  support 
of  a  preacher  among  theiH  ;  and  also,  to  become  acquainted 
with  the  more  destitute  places,  where  ministers  may  be 
profitably  employed,  and  to  procure  suitable  laborers,  and  to 
send  them  out  to  supply  the  destitute,  and  to  form  new 
Churches." 

The  Presbytery  resolved  to  conduct  its  own  missions. 
This  rule,  with  the  exception  of  a  short  period — when  it  was 
connected  with  the  General  Assembly's  Board  of  Domestic 
Missions — was  never  violated.  The  work  thus  commenced, 
was  prosecuted  with  much  zeal  and  efiiciency  for  many  years. 

The  great  complaint  of  the  Presbytery  during  the  first 
years  of  its  existence,  was  the  scarcity  of  laborers.  It  had 
more  funds  than  missionaries.  Besides  the  liberal  contribu- 
tions of  the  Churches,  the  Presbytery,  in  1843,  received  a 
liberal  bequest  from  a  Mr.  Moses  Alexander,  residing  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Fort  Gaines,  Early  county,  of  the  rents, 
issues  and  profits  of  a  valuable  plantation,  to  be  applied  to 
the  support  of  Domestic  Missions.  From  this  source,  as 
also  from  a  portion  of  the  Fox  legacy — which  had  been  left 
to  Hopewell  Presbytery  by  a  Mr.  Fox,  of  Augusta,  prior  to 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH    IN    GEORGIA.  59 

the  division — the  Presbytery  was  enabled  to  prosecute  its 
work  of  evangelization  with  considerable  success.  At  times, 
every  organized  Church  within  its  bounds  was  supplied  with 
the  stated  preaching  of  the  Word. 

The  Presbytery  increased  in  Churches  from  twenty-five  ta 
forty-six,  the  number  at  its  late  division.  In  the  meantime, 
a  number  of  organizations  had  been  dissolved,  or  had  entered 
into  new  combinations. 

At  the  second  meeting  of  the  Presbytery,  the  subject  of 
the  education  of  young  men  for  the  ministry  was  taken  up, 
and  the  formation  of  a  Board  of  Education  was  effected. 
This  Board  was  directed  to  seek  out  the  indigent,  pious 
young  men  of  our  Church,  who  desire  to  enter  the  gospel 
ministry,  and  to  afford  them  such  aid  in  acquiring  the  requi- 
site education  as  they  may  be  able,  and  the  necessities  of  the 
young  men  may  require. 

This  Board  was  so  far  auxiliary  to  the  Georgia  Educational 
Society  as  to  make  an  annual  report  to  that  body.  The 
Presbytery  also  approved  and  contributed  to  the  support  of 
the  school  founded  by  that  Society  in  "the  vicinity  of  Athens, 
and  sent  thither  several  of  its  young  men  to  be  educated. 
When  the  Society  determined  to  break  up  that  school,  and, 
by  dividing  its  interests,  to  found  two  schools,  one  of  these 
(the  Gwinnett  Institute)  was  located  Avithin  its  bounds.  In 
September,  1835,  the  Directors  of  the  Georgia  Educational 
Society  tendered  the  control  of  the  institution  to  the  Presby- 
tery, which  was  by  it  accepted.  The  school  continued  under 
its  superintendence,  with  varied  success,  until  the  fall  of 
1845,  when  the  property  was  sold  and  the  enterprise  aban- 
doned. This  was  the  end  of  the  Manual  Labor  system  of 
education  in  Georgia.  Yet,  that  school  was  not  without 
fruit.  Several  worthy  young  men  received  there  their 
education,  who  afterwards  became  useful  ministers,  some  of 
whom  continue  in  the  vineyard  to  the  present  time. 

The  first  alteration  in   the  bounds  of  the  Presbytery  oc- 


60  PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH    IN    GEORGIA. 

curred  in  1840,when  the  Sjnod  of  South  Carolina  and  Georgia 
detached  from  it,  the  counties  of  Decatur,  Early  and  Baker, 
and  attached  them  to  the  newly  constituted  Presbytery  of 
Florida. 

The  second  change  of  boundaries  was  made  by  the  Synod 
in  1842,  when  the  county  of  Bibb,  and  the  Church  of  Macon, 
was  transferred  to  the  Presbytery  of  Hopewell,  and,  as  com- 
pensation, the  counties  of  Paulding,  Walker,  Cobb,  Floyd, 
Cass,  Cherokee,  Chattooga,  Murray,  Gilmer  and  Dade  were 
transferred  to,  and  became  a  part  of  Flint  River.  This  was  a 
singular  ecclesiastical  freak.  The  gratification  of  personal 
feelings,  and  not  the  greatest  good  of  the  Church,  influenced 
this  measure. 

The  third  change  in  boundaries  was  made  by  the  Synod  in 
in  1843,  when  that  part  of  its  territory  known  as  the  Chero- 
kee country,  west  of  the  Chattahoochee  River,  was  sot  off  and 
erected  into. the  Presbytery  of  Cherokee. 

No  other  alterations  occurred  until  the  winter  of  1866, 
when  the  Synod  of  Georgia  divided  it,  constituting  the  Pres- 
byteries of  Atlanta  and  Macon.  Thus,  after  an  existence  of 
thirty-four  years,  the  name  of  Flint  River  Presbytery  was 
stricken  from  the  roll  of  Presbyteries. 


PRESBYTERY  OF  FLORIDA. 


The  Presbytery  of  Florida  was  erected  by  the  Synod  of 
South  Carolina  and  Georgia,  at  its  Sessions  in  Augusta, 
Kovember,  1840,  by  detaching  the  whole  State  of  Florida 
from  the  Presbytery  of  Georgia,  and  three  or  four  counties  in 
Georgia  from  the  Presbytery  of  Flint  River. '  The  intention 
was  to  constitute  another  Synod,  but  the  plan  has  not  been 
effected.  It  consists  at  present  of  twenty-seven  Churches 
and  eicrhteen  ministers. 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CHEROKEE. 


The  Presbytery  of  Cherokee  was  organized  the  18th  of 
April,  1844,  at  Sumraerville,  Chattooga  county,  Georgia,  in 
accordance  with  the  following  resolutions  passed  by  the  Synod 
of  South  Carolina  and  Georgia  at  its  Sessions  in  Augusta 
in  1843: 

Resolved,  That  in  accordance  with  the  unanimous  vote  of 
Flint  River  Presbytery,  as  expressed  at  its  last  meeting, 
Synod  proceed  to  set  off  and  erect  into  a  new  Presbytery,  all 
that  part  of  the  territory  now  belonging  to  Flint  River  Pres- 
bytery known  as  the  Cherokee  Country,  and  also  the  counties 
of  Forsyth,  Lumpkin  and  Union,  belonging  to  the  Presbytery 
of  Hopewell,  to  be  called  by  the  name  of  the  Presbytery  of 
Cherokee,  to  include  all  the  Churches  within  said  counties, 


62  PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH    IX    GEORGIA. 

and  the  ministers  there  located,  viz  :  Isaac  W.  Waddel,  Jas. 
Gamble,  Nathaniel  A.  Pratt  and  Alexander  B.  McCorkle, 
with  the  licentiates,  Thomas  Jackson  and  James  B.  Dun- 
woody  ;  that  said  Presbytery  meet  on  the  Thursday  before 
the  third  Sabbath  in  April,  in  the  town  of  Summerville, 
Chattooga  county ;  that  the  Rev.  James  Gamble  be  appointed 
to  preach  the  opening  sermon,  and  preside  until  a  new 
Moderator  be  chosen ;  and  in  case  of  his  absence,  the  senior 
minister  present  discharge  his  duties. 

The  Presbytery  had  under  its  care  some  ten  Churches  at 
the  time  of  its  organization.  Its  efforts  from  the  beginning 
seem  to  have  been  mainly  directed  to  the  work  of  Domestic 
Missions  and  Church  extension.  It  was  a  prosperous  and 
eflBcient  Presbytery  up  to  the  time  of  the  commencement  of 
the  late  civil  war.  Twenty-eight  Churches  were  added  to  its 
roll  from  1844,  the  date  of  its  first  meeting,  until  1858,  a 
period  of  fourteen  years.  Many  of  these,  however,  have  been 
dissolved,  or  become  extinct,  since,  according  to  its  last 
report,  it  shows  only  thirty-one  Churches  on  its  roll.  Its 
membership  seems  to  have  been  somewhat  transient,  since,  of 
forty-two  ministers  who  have  been  connected  with  it  in  the 
twenty-four  years  of  its  existence,  only  fourteen  remain  on  its 
roll. 

This  Presbytery,  like  all  Presbyteries  in  new  countries, 
has  experienced  many  changes.  Small  Churches  are  gather- 
ed with  the  prospect  of  increase,  which,  after  a  few  years, 
have  become  extinct,  either  by  emigration,  or  for  want  of 
regular  preaching  and  administration  of  the  ordinances.  The 
latter  is,  more  generally,  the  cause  of  failure.  Few  instances 
have  ever  occurred,  where  a  regular  and  efiicient  ministry  has 
been  maintained,  that  Churches  have  declined  and  become 
extinct.  And  ministers  coming  into  such  Presbyterips, 
though  with  sincere  intentions  of  becoming  permanent  labor- 
ers, find  the  Churches  weak,  and  unable  to  give  the  necessary 
material  support,  after  a  short  trial  become  discouraged,  and 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH    IN   GEORGIA.  63 

under  the  pressure  of  want,    are  compelled  to   seek  more 
favorable  fields  of  labor. 

This  will  continue  to  be  the  case  until  we  have  an  adequate 
sustentation  fund,  to  furnish  liberal  aid  to  our  feeble  Churches. 
All  over  Georgia,  to-day,  may  be  found  the  wrecks  of  Presby- 
terian Churches  once  planted  in  hope,  and  with  some  good 
prospect  of  success.  They  maintained  a  sickly  existence  for 
a  few  years,  and  then  succumbed  for  want  of  the  constant 
ministry  of  the  Word.  And  they  had  not  a  constant  ministry 
because  they  were  unable  to  sustain  it,  and  there  was  none 
to  help  them.  This  is  the  sad  history  of  an  hundred  organi- 
zations. And  never,  until  we  have  a  more  perfect  system  of 
benevolence,  will  things  grow  better. 

The  Churches  in  the  Presbytery  of  Cherokee  suffered 
greatly  in  the  late  war.  Over  its  territory  the  contending 
armies  passed,  and  swept  a  large  portion  of  it  as  with  the 
besom  of  destruction.  The  devastation  was  wide  and  ap- 
palling. The  material  wealth  of  the  people  was  consumed — 
their  agricultural  interests  ruined — their  towns  and  villages 
burned  or  wrecked — their  houses  of  worship  demolished  or  so 
defaced  as  to  be  unfit  for  use — their  ministers  driven  from 
their  homes,  many  of  them  never  to  return — the  membership 
of  their  Churches  scattered  and  driven  into  exile,  some  of 
them  dying,  and  others  taking  up  their  permanent  abode  in 
the  regions  to  which  they  fled,  have  diminished  their  strength, 
and  those  who  did  return  greatly  impoverished  and  discour- 
aged. For  many  months  the  exercises  of  religion  were 
suspended  in  most  of  their  Churches.  The  effects  of  the 
storm  of  war  that  has  passed  over  it  cannot  be  contemplated 
without  the  most  profound  sorrow.  But  the  King  in  Zion 
liyes  ftmd  will  restore  her  breaches. 


THE   PRESBYTERY   OF  ATLANTA. 


At  the  meeting  of  the  Synod  of  Georgia,  in  the  city  of 
Savannah,  in  November,  1866,  the  Presbytery  of  Flint  River 
was  divided,  constituting  the  Presbyteries  of  Atlanta  and 
Macon.  The  dividing  line  between  the  two  Presbyteries 
commences  on  the  Chattahoochee  River,  at  the  corners  of 
Troup  and  Harris  counties,  and  running  thence  by  the  most 
direct  county-lines  to  the  Ocmulgee  River,  where  the  northern 
line  of  Bibb  county  touches  said  river.  The  Presbytery 
north  of  this  line  is  the  Presbytery  of  Atlanta.  It  has  under 
its  care  some  twenty-five  Churches. 

The  original  members  were,  Rev.  Messrs.  John  S.  Wilson, 
D.D.,  W.  M.  Cunningham,  D.D.,  T.  F.  Montgomery,  Robt. 
Logan,  R.  T.  Marks,  James  Stacy,  John  Jones,  W.  J.  Keith, 
A.  G.  Pedan,  H.  C.  Carter,  J.  L.  Rogers.  Its  first  meeting 
was  held  in  Newnan,  Coweta  county,  Georgia. 


THE  MACON  PRESBYTERY. 


The  Presbytery  south  of  the  line  dividing  Flint  River 
Presbytery,  is  Macon,  and  consists  of  some  twelve  or  fourteen 
Churches.  The  original  ministers  were  Rev.  Messrs  David 
Wills,  D.D.,  C.  P.  B.  Martin,  Geo.  H.  Coit,  Homer  Hendee, 
Luther  H.  Wilson,  J.  L.  King,  Henry  Hoyt,  Theo.  E.  Smith, 
J.  N.  Bradshaw,  John  C.  McCain.  Its  first  meeting  was 
held  in  the  city  of  Columbus,  Georgia. 

In  closing  this  brief  sketch  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in 
Georgia,  it  is  proper  to  refer  to  the  Synod  of  Georgia. 

Hopewell  Presbytery  was  erected  by  the  Synod  of  the 
Carolinas  in  1796,  and  was  the  eighteenth  Presbytery  consti- 
tuted in  the  United  States.  Georgia  Presbytery  was  erected 
by  the  Synod  of  South  Carolina  in  1821,  and  was  the  forty- 
fifth  Presbytery  constituted  in  the  United  States.  Flint 
River  was  set  off  by  the  Synod  of  South  Carolina  and  Georgia 
in  1833,  and  was  the  seventy-third  Presbytery  in  the  United 
States.  Cherokee  Presbytery  was  erected  by  the  Synod  of 
South  Carolina  and  Georgia  in  1843.  The  Presbytery  of 
Florida  was  set  off  in  1840,  by  the  Synod  of  South  Carolina 
and  Georgia. 

The  Synod  of  South  Carolina  and  Georgia  was  formed  by 
a  division  of  the  Synod  of  the  Carolinas  in  1813,  constituting 
it  and  the  Synod  of  North  Carolina  contemporaneously.  The 
Synod  of  Georgia  was  erected  by  a  division  of  the  Synod  of 
South  Carolina  and  Georgia  in  1845,  in  accordance  with  the 
following  memorial : 

"  The  Synod  of  South  Carolina  and  Georgia,  at  its  Sessions 
in  Columbia,  December,  1844,  directed  the  following  memo- 
rial to  be  laid  before  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  in  the  United  States  of  America : 
5  65 


66  PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH   IN   GEORGIA. 

Resolved,  That  the  Commissioners,  from  the  several  Presby- 
teries comprising  this  Synod,  to  the  next  General  Assembly, 
be  directed  to  request  the  Assembly  to  divide  the  Synod  of 
South  Carolina  and  Georgia  into  the  Synod  of  South  Carolina 
and  the  Synod  of  Georgia ;  and  that  the  geographical  limits 
of  the  Synod  of  South  Carolina  be  those  of  the  State  of 
South  Carolina;  and  that  the  geographical  limits  of  the  Synod 
of  Georgia  be  those  of  the  State  of  Georgia,  together  with 
the  territory  of  Florida,  so  far  as  this  may  not  interfere  with 
the  limits  of  the  Synod  of  Alabama. 

Resolved,  also,  That  the  General  Assembly  be  requested 
to  direct  the  Synod  of  South  Carolina  to  meet  in  Pendleton, 
on  the  first  Thursday  of  November,  in  1845,  at  11  o'clock, 
A.  M.,  and  that  the  opening  sermon  be  preached  by  the  Rev. 
Edward  Palmer,  Moderator,  and,  in  case  of  absence,  by  the 
oldest  minister  present ;  and  the  Synod  of  Georgia  to  meet 
in  Macon,  on  the  third  Thursday  of  November,  1845,  at  7 
o'clock,  P.  M.,  and  the  Rev.  Thomas  Goulding,  B.D.,  be 
appointed  to  preach  the  opening  sermon,  as  Moderator,  and, 
in  case  of  his  absence,  the  oldest  minister  present. 

Resolved,  further,  That  all  the  records  and  papers  hereto- 
fore belonging  to  the  Synod  of  South  Carolina  and  Georgia, 
be  left  in  the  hands  of  the  stated  clerk  of  the  Synod  of  South 
Carolina,  at  all  times  open  to  the  inspection  and  use  of  the 
Synod  of  Georgia." 

This  memorial  was  presented  to  the  General  Assembly  at 
its  Sessions  in  Cincinnati,  in  May,  1844,  and  the  prayer  therein 
contained  was  granted  in  ipsissimis  verbis. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  Synod  was  accordingly  held  in 
Macon  on  the  20th  of  November,  1845.  Dr.  Goulding  was 
chosen  its  Moderator. 

The  Synod  at  present  (1869)  consists  of  six  Presbyteries, 
to-wit :  Augusta,  Savannah,  Cherokee,  Florida,  Atlanta  and 
Macon. 


PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH   IN   GEORGIA.  67 

At  the  time  of  its  organization,  as  per  its  first  report,  had 
on  its  roll :     Ministers,  55 ;  Churches,  99. 

As  per  reports  t©  the  General  Assembly  of  1868,  it  con- 
sisted of — Ministers,  88  ;•  Churches,  141. 

The  increase  of  ministers  since  1845  has  been  33 ;  of 
Churches,  42. 

The  total  of  communicants,  as  reported  to  the  Assembly 
of  1868,  about  8,000. 

In  concluding  this  brief  history  of  the  Synod,  I  deem  it 
proper  to  add  an  extract  from  its  Minutes  of  1868. 

The  Synod  of  1867  appointed  a  committee,  consisting  of 
Rev.  Messrs.  Green  and  Buttolph,  to  adjust  and  define  the 
boundaries  of  the  several  Presbyteries.  The  committee  re- 
ported, and  on  motion,  the  resolutions  were  taken  up  seriatim^ 
and,  after  some  amendments,  the  report  was  adopted,  and  is 
as  follows : 

"  The  committee  appointed  at  the  last  meeting  of  the  Synod 
to  consider  the  propriety  of  altering  the  boundary  line  be- 
tween the  Presbyteries  of  Hopewell  and  Georgia,  will  call  the 
attention  of  the  Synod  to  the  following  resolutions,  passed  by 
the  Presbytery  of  Hopewell,  at  its  last  meeting: 

1.  Resolvedy  That  it  is  inexpedient  for  any  portion  of  the 
territory  of  Hopewell  Presbytery  to  be  ceded  to  the  Presby- 
tery of  Georgia ;  that  the  Churches  of  Augusta  and  Waynes- 
boro' and  Bath,  which  it  has  been  proposed  shall  be  set  oflf, 
are  naturally  connected  with  Hopewell  Presbytery.  While 
on  account  of  their  distance  from  the  Churches  of  Georgia 
Presbytery,  it  is  believed  that  it  would  not  be  of  great  advan- 
tage to  that  Presbytery,  nor  for  the  interest  of  the  Church 
in  general,  for  their  ecclesiastical  connection  to  be  changed. 

2.  Resolved,  That  this  Presbyt.ery  overture  the  Synod,  at 
its  next  meeting,  to  change  the  name  of  the  Presbytery  of 
Hopewell  to  the  Presbytery  of  Augusta. 

The  committee  cannot,  therefore,  recommend  that  any 
material  change  be  made  in  the  boundary  line  between  these 


68  PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH   IN   GEORGIA. 

two  Presbyteries.  But  they  have  taken  into  consideration 
the  whole  matter  of  the  boundaries  of  the  Presbyteries  in  this 
Synod,  and  have  endeavored  to  ascertain  whether  the  objects 
desired  to  be  effected  by  the  change  proposed,  could  not  be 
accomplished  otherwise. 

They  believe  that  the  convenience  of  many  of  the  Churches, 
and  the  welfare  of  the  Presbyteries,  require  that  some  charges 
be  made  in  the  present  boundaries  of  several  of  the  Presby- 
teries. 

The  committee  would  beg  leave  to  present  the  following 
resolutions : 

I.  That  the  request  of  the  Presbytery  of  Hopewell  be 
granted,  and  its  name  be  changed  to  the  Presbytery  of 
Augusta. 

II.  That  the  name  of  the  Presbytery  of  Georgia  be  changed 
to  the  Presbytery  of  Savannah. 

III.  That  it  be  ordained  by  this  Synod,  that  the  following 
shall  be  the  boundaries  of  the  Presbyteries : 

1.  The  Presbytery  of  Cherokee  shall  embrace  the  North- 
western portion  of  the  State  of  Georgia ;  its  southern  and 
eastern  boundaries  being  a  line  running  along  the  northern 
county-lines  of  Harralson,  Carroll  and  Campbell  counties, 
thence  along  the  Chattahoochee  and  Chestatee  Rivers  and 
the  western  lines  of  Lumpkin  and  Union  counties. 

2.  The  Presbytery  of  Atlanta  shall  embrace  that  portion 
of  the  State  lying  south  of  the  Presbytery  of  Cherokee ;  the 
eastern  lines  of  Gwinnett,  Walton  and  Newton  counties,  and 
the  Ocmulgee  River  to  the  northern  corner  of  Bibb  county? 
being  its  boundary  on  the  east,  and  the  southern  lines  of 
Monroe,  Upson,  Meriwether  and  Troup,  south. 

3.  That  the  Presbytery  of  Augusta  shall  embrace  that 
portion  of  the  State  lying  east  of  the  Presbyteries  of  Cherokee 
and  Atlanta;  its  southern  boundary  being  the  northern 
county-lines  of  Scriven,  Emanuel,  Laurens,  Twiggs  and  Bibb. 

4.  The  Presbytery  of  Macon  shall  embrace  that  portion 


PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH   IN   GEORGIA.  69 

of  the  State  lying  south  of  the  Presbyteries  of  Atlanta  and 
Augusta ;  being  limited  on  the  southeast  by  a  line  beginning 
at  the  southern  corner  of  Johnson  county,  and  running  along 
the  northern  and  western  county-lines  of  Emanuel,  Mont- 
gomery, Telfair,  Irwin,  Berien,  Colquitt,  Thomas  and  Decatur. 

5.  The  Presbytery  of  Savannah  shall  embrace  that  portion 
of  the  State  lying  south  and  east  of  the  Presbyteries  of 
Augusta  and  Macon. 

6.  The  Presbytery  of  Florida  shall  embrace  all  the  State 
of  Florida  that  belongs  to  this  Synod,  and  not  embraced  in 
the  Synod  of  Alabama. 

IV.  The  Churches  which  by  these  changes  fall  within  the 
bounds  of  other  Presbyteries,  shall,  together  with  their  minis- 
ters, have  their  Presbyterial  connections  changed  accordingly, 
and  they  are  hereby  so  changed." 


NECROLOGY. 


REV.  JOSEPH  YOUNG  ALEXANDER. 


Joseph  Youxo  Alexander,  second  son  of  Abram  and 
Margaret  Alexander,  was  born  the  10th  of  December,  1792,  in 
Cabarras  county,  North  Carolina.  His  parents  were  mem- 
bers of  the  Poplar  Tent  Presbyterian  Church,  of  which  his 
father  was  a  ruling  elder.  He  was  dedicated  in  infancy,  and 
was  piously  trained  under  the  ministry  of  that  eminent  ser- 
vant of  God,  the  late  Rev.  John  Robinson,  D.  D.*  It  seems 
probable,  from  a  single  fact  that  has  come  to  our  knowledge, 
that  he  was  dedicated  in  faith  and  prayer  by  his  pious 
parents  from  his  birth,  to  the  holy  ministry,  since  his  mother, 
when  he  announced  to  her  his  matured  purpose  to  preach  the 
gospel,  joyfully  exclaimed,  "  I  have  prayed  and  hoped  you 
would  be  a  minister." 

He  was  of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  Sometime  in  the  last 
century  five  brothers  emigrated  from  Ireland,  and  first  settled 
in  Pennsylvania,  and  thence  removed  to  other  States.  The 
grandfather  of  Mr.  Alexander  came  to  North  Carolina. 

We  find  nothing  worthy  of  note  in  his  boyhood.  He  was 
a  good  boy — learned  his  catechism — read  his  Bible — and 
went  to  Church.  He  was  the  subject  of  early  religious  im- 
pressions, and  made  a  public  profession  of  his  faith  in  Christ 

*Dr.  Robiasoa  was  graduated  at  Winnsboro' College,  South  Carolina, 
and  was  licensed  by  Orange  Presbytery,  April  4th,  1793 — was  first  settled 
at  Fayette ville,  North  Carolina,  in  1800,  and  in  1801,  at  Poplar  Tent,  and 
then  again  at  Fayetteville,  in  1806.  He  returned  to  Poplar  Tent  in  1818, 
where  he  remained  till  his  death,  December  14, 1843,  in  the  seventy-sixth 
year  of  his  age. 

71 


72  KECROLOGY. 


in  the  sixteenth  year  of  his  age,  and  united  with  the  Church 
of  his  father.  He  was  an  earnest  Christian  ;  of  great  unifor- 
mity of  Christian  temper,  rarely  suffering  from  depression, 
nor  yet  from  over-excitement — he  held  on  the  even  tenor  of 
his  way  through  life. 

His  education  was  principally  by,  and  under  the  direction 
of  Dr.  Robinson,  "  who,  for  many  years,  carried  on  a  classical 
school  in  Poplar  Tent  congregation,  at  which  were  trained 
many  of  the  leading  men  of  the  present  generation.*  He 
was  a  good  classical  scholar,  though  he  had  not  the  advantages 
of  a  collegiate  course. 

He  first  left  the  parental  roof  to  take  charge  of  a  school 
in  the  town  of  Charlotte,  North  Carolina;  and  was  afterwards 
engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits  in  the  same  place.  Indeed, 
he  had  chosen  the  business  of  a  merchant  as  his  vocation  for 
life.  But  God  had  other  designs  ;  for  it  was  while  thus  en- 
gaged, his  thoughts  were  first  seriously  turned  to  the  subject 
of  the  gospel  ministry.  It  was  after  a  long  and  painful  con- 
flict between  a  sense  of  duty  and  his  worldly  interests,  that 
he  yielded  to  the  Saviour's  claims.  He  had  tempting  secular 
prospects  before  him,  but  so  strong  became  his  convictions 
that  he  ought  to  preach  Christ,  that  he  delayed  not,  but 
leaving  all  and  abandoning  his  business,  he  repaired  to  Wil- 
lington.  South  Carolina,  where  he  entered  at  once  upon  the 
study  of  Theology,  under  the  direction  of  the  late  Dr.  Moses 
Waddel.  Here  he  was  associated  with  several  other  young 
men  having  the  same  object  in  view,  most  of  whom  still  live 
and  stand  in  their  lot  on  the  walls  of  Zion,  while  of  that  large 
Presbytery  which  licensed  them,  not  a  single  one  is  in  the 
land  of  the  living. 

At  that  time  (IfelT)  Theological  Seminaries  had  not  began 
to  attract  much  attention.  Princeton  was  in  its  infancy,  and 
was   then  the  only  seminary  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

*  Foot's  Sketches  of  North  Carolina. 


REV.   JOSEPH   YOUNG   ALEXANDER.  TB 

Few  Southern  students  thought  of  going  thither.  Candidates 
for  the  ministry,  generally,  pursued  their  studies  under  the 
direction  of  some  pastor  or  private  instructor,  which,  after 
all  that  has  been  said  in  behalf  of  seminaries,  is,  perhaps,  the 
better  plan.  It  has,  at  least,  generally  furnished  more  prac- 
tical men  in  the  ministery,  than  many  of  those. who  have  been 
trained  in  these  institutions. 

After  the  usual  time  spent  in  preparation,  Mr.  Alexander 
received  a  license  from  the  Presbytery  of  South  Carolina  in 
April,  1820.  According  to  the  custom  of  that  Presbytery, 
the  first  six  months  of  his  ministry  was  spent  as  a  Missionary 
in  the  Districts  of  Lexington  and  NewJDerry,  within  its 
bounds.  It  would  be  well,  doubtlessly,  if  all  Presbyteries 
would  adopt  the  same  rule  in  relation  to  their  young  men. 
Let  the  young  eaglets  try  their  wings  near  the  parent  nest, 
instead  of  flying  away  to  towns  and  cities,  canvassing  for- 
settlements  in  places  for  which  they  are  not  qualified. 

At  the  close  of  his  mission,  he  took  charge  of  an  academy 
at  Newberry.  Here  he  remained  a  year  or  two,  and  then 
removed  to  Lincolnton,  Georgia.  After  a  year  or  two  en- 
gaged in  teaching  in  that  place,  he  removed  to  Lexington, 
Oglethorpe  county,  where  he  had  charge  of  the  Meson 
Academy  for  some  time.  In  the  several  places  of  his  abode, 
he  ever  diligently  continued  to  preach  the  Word  as  oppor- 
tunity ofi'ered.  There  is  evidence  that  he  was  greatly  useful 
in  these  several  fields  of  labor,  not  only  as  a  teacher,  but  as  a 
minister  of  the  gospel. 

About  this  time  the  new  country  on  the  Chattahoochee,  in 
the  west  of  the  State,  was  beginning  to  attract  notice,  and 
called  for  laborers,  both  in  the  school-room  and  the  pulpit. 
Brother  A.  paid  a  short  visit  to  that  region ;  and  being 
pleased  with  the  prospect  for  usefulness  in  that  quarter,  he 
left  Lexington,  and  removed  his  young  family  to  Newnan, 
Coweta  county.  This  was  then  a  new  and  uncultivated 
country.     Here  he  spent  more  than  two-thirds  of  his  minis- 


74  NECROLOGY. 


terial  life,  and  the  prime  of  his  days.  Here  he  reared  his 
family,  and  here  he  ended  his  work  on  earth. 

During  many  years  after  his  settlement  in  Newnan,  he  was 
confined  to  the  school-room  ;  and  many,  both  male  and  female, 
are  ready  to  bear  witness  to  his  fidelity  and  success  in  this 
department  of  labor.  A  Presbyterian  Church  had  been  or- 
ganized in  the  place  prior  to  his  removal,  but  it  was  feeble 
and  unable  to  support  a  minister ;  he  was,  therefore,  com- 
pelled daily  to  toil,  for  the  support  of  himself  and  family,  in 
a  school,  while  he  preached  to  the  people  on  the  Sabbath  for 
a  poor  and  stinted  stipend. 

By  such  self-denying  and  self-sacrificing  labors,  not  only 
the  Church  at  Newnan,  but  many  other  Churches  in  the 
Synod  of  Georgia,  have  been  built  up.  Few  men  in  the 
present  day  know  anything  of  the  toil  and  suffering  it  required 
to  lay  the  foundations  of  Presbyterianism  in  Western  Georgia. 
It  was  a  day  of  small  things.  The  seed  had  to  be  sown — 
houses  of  worship  erected,  and  the  scattered  sheep  gathered. 
Churches  which  now  contribute  thousands  to  support  their 
pastors  and  the  benevolent  enterprises  of  the  day,  were  then 
but  a  mere  handful,  without  wealth,  and,  indeea,  without  a 
disposition  to  give,  had  they  possessed  the  means.  Hard 
work  and  hard  fare  was  the  allotment  of  all  laborers  in  this 
part  of  the  vineyard. 

Brother  A.  was  not  only  instrumental  in  sustaining  and 
building  up  the  Church  in  the  place  of  his  abode,  but  in 
founding  several  other  Churches  in  the  regions  round  about. 
After  laboring  many  years  as  a  stated  supply  of  the  Newnan 
Church,  he  received  a  regular  call,  and  was  for  some  time  its 
settled  pastor,  but  resigned  the  charge  two  or-  three  years 
before  his  decease. 

Brother  Alexander  had  his  faults  and  his  enemies,  and  let 
him  who  has  none  cast  the  first  stone.  He  always  acted  from 
a  firm  conviction  of  duty,  and  independently  of  the  prejudices 
of  others,  and  consequently  encountered,  at  times,  violent 


REV.    JOSEPH   YOUNG   ALEXANDER.  75 

opposition.  Yet,  after  all,  it  may  in  verity  be  said  of  him, 
that  he  died  universally  lamented.  The  community  in  which 
he  had  so  long  resided  and  labored,  felt,  when  he  died,  that 
they  had  suffered  a  great  loss.  They  realized  that  a  good 
man  had  fallen,  and  they  "  carried  him  to  his  burial,  and 
made  great  lamentation  over  him."  . 

He  was  a  sound  Presbyterian,  as  may  be  readily  supposed 
from  his  antecedents — having  been  trained  from  infancy  in  a 
pure  and  healthful  Presbyterian  atmosphere.  He  was  ever 
an  earnest  advocate  of  the  doctrines  and  polity  of  the  Church 
of  his  fathers.  Nevertheless,  he  was  a  man  of  a  Catholic 
spirit,  always  rejoicing  that  the  gospel  was  preached  and  good 
done  by  other  communions.  He  scorned  a  sectarian  and 
proselyting  spirit  in  any  denomination.  As  a  preacher, 
though  not  brilliant,  he  was  instructive,  and  especially  accep- 
table to  Christians,  comforting  and  strengthening  them  in  the 
faith.  As  a  Presbyter,  he  was  faithful  in  his  attendance  on 
the  Judicatories  of  the  Church ;  and  his  opinions  in  matters 
connected  with  the  prosperity  of  Zion  were  always  heard 
with  respect.  He  served  his  Presbytery  only  once  as  a  com- 
missioner to  the  General  Assembly,  which  met  in  Cincinnatti. 
As  a  true  bishop,  he  was  "given  to  hospitality;"  and  though 
never  possessed  of  much  of  this  world's  goods,  he  was  generous 
and  benevolent  to  the  poor  and  needy.  He  was  a  warm  ad- 
vocate of  all  the  benevolent  schemes  of  the  Church.  For  a 
time  he  acted  as  Superintendent  of  the  General  Assembly's 
Board  of  Publication  for  the  State  of  Georgia,  in  which 
capacity  he  was  industrious  and  efficient.  He  was  a  very 
strenuous  advocate  of  the  Temperance  Reform,  and  though 
his  course  brought  down  upon  him,  from  a  certain  quarter, 
the  most  virulent  opposition  and  unrelenting  persecution,  yet 
he  remained  to  the  last  the  firm  and  unyielding  supporter  of 
the  cause. 

He  was  a  man  of  great  simplicity  and  regularity  of  life — a 
pleasant  companion,  and  strongly  attached  to  his  friends. 


76  NECROLOGY. 


He  was  very  systematic  and  regular  in  all  his  household 
aflfairs.  His  diary  presents  a  record,  among  other  things,  of 
all  the  sermons  he  preached  from  the  time  of  his  entering  the 
ministry  till  his  death,  from  which  it  appears  that  in  some 
months  he  preached  as  often  as  twenty-six  times,  (an  evidence 
that  he  was  abundant  in  labor  serving  the  Lord.)  There  is 
also  in  the  same  record,  the  number  of  times  and  places  he 
administered  the  Lord's  Supper,  the  children  he  baptised^ 
and  the  marriage  ceremonies  performed. 

Brother  A.  was  twice  married.  His  first  wife  was  Miss 
Ann  McAuslin,  a  foster-daughter  of  Dr.  John  Robinson,  his 
early  friend  and  instructor.  They  had  a  large  family  of  sons 
and  daughters — six  of  whom  still  survive,  several  having 
died.  She  was  a  lady  of  great  worth — an  excellent  wife  and 
mother.  They  were  united  in  marriage  the  7th  of  September, 
1820.  His  second  marriage  was  with  Mrs.  E.  H  Corbin,  the 
relict  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Corbin,  on  the  17th  of  October,  1848, 
by  whom  he  had  one  daughter.  The  widow  and  the  daughter 
are  both  living.     He  was  very  happy  in  both  his  marriages. 

He  was  at  no  time  a  man  of  very  robust  constitution,  and 
for  several  years  preceding  his  death,  was  in  very  feeble 
health.  The  last  few  weeks  of  his  life,  were  weeks  of  great 
bodily  anguish.  His  physical  agony  at  times  produced  con- 
siderable mental  aberration.  Yet,  in  moments  of  his  greatest 
sufferings,  that  entire  submission  to  the  will  of  God,  and  un- 
wavering trust  in  the  Saviour,  manifested  through  life,  was 
exhibited.  His  constant  prayer  was,  that  he  might  have 
patience  to  endure  to  the  end.  He  felt  that  his  work  was 
done,  often  remarking  to  those  around  him,  "  I  shall  preach 
no  more;  yet  if  I  should  live,  I  hope  I  may  do  good  in  some 
way."  The  thought  which  seemed  most  to  occupy  his  mind, 
as  he  approached  the  end  of  life,  was  that  unending  state  into 
which  he  was  about  to  enter.  The  word  "eternity"  was 
often  on  his  lips.  He  had  no  rapturous  views  of  heavenly 
glory,  but  a  solemn,  abiding  sense  of  the  infinitude  and  un- 


REV.   JOSEPH   YOUNG   ALEXANDER.  77 

ending  bliss  of  the  righteous.  In  the  last  paroxism  which 
closed  the  scene,  and  emancipated  his  spirit  from  the  frail 
tenement  of  mortality,  he  was  asked  by  one,  if  he  wished 
any  thing.  He  promptly  replied :  "  I  want  dying  grace," 
and  immediately  added,  laying  his  hand  on  his  breast,  "  I 
have  it  here." 

Thus  closed  the  life  of  this  good  man,  on  Monday  morning, 
the  30th  of  March,  1857,  in  the  sixty-fifth  year  of  his  age, 
and  the  thirty- seventh  of  his  ministry.  We  could  but  say : 
"  Blessed  are  the  dead  who  die  in  the  Lord ;  they  do  rest 
from  their  labors,  and  their  works  follow  them."  His  funeral 
sermon  was  preached  by  his  old  friend  and  classmate,  and 
fellow-laborer,  from  the  text,  "  For  me  to  live  is  Christ,  and 
to  die  is  gain."  Philippians  i:  21.  And  then  we  laid  him 
in  the  grave,  there  to  wait  the  morning  of  the  resurrection 
of  the  just  made  perfect. 


REV.  DOJ^ALB  JOHIS"  AULD,  M.  D. 


Donald  John  Auld  was  the  third  son  of  Dr.  Isaac  Auld, 
of  Edisto  Island,  S.  C,  and  was  born  on  the  26th  April,  1810. 
His  father  being  a  man  of  a  highly  cultivated  mind,  and 
rightly  appreciating  the  advantages  of  a  polished  education, 
spared  neither  pains  nor  expense  in  securing  for  him  those 
advantages.  At  an  early  age,  he  was  placed  under  the  care 
of  that  distinguished  and  successful  teacher,  the  late  Chris- 
topher Cotes,  of  Charleston. 

Gifted  with  a  mind  of  no  slight  powers,  he  sedulously  im- 
proved the  talents  entrusted  to  his  keeping,  and  under  the 
thorough  drilling  of  his  able  teacher,  he  acquired  a  charac- 
ter for  accurate  scholarship  in  the  Latin  and  Greek  languages, 
and  in  Mathematics.  At  the  age  of  eighteen,  he  entered 
the  Senior  Class  in  the  Charleston  College,  and  graduated 
in  1829. 

Immediately  after  his  graduation,  he  entered  the  office  of 
Dr.  F.  G.  Porcher,  of  Charleston,  as  a  student  of  medicine, 
and  in  the  year  1832,  received  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Med- 
icine from  the  Medical  College  of  South  Carolina.  As  a 
student,  in  both  the  Literary  and  Medical  Celleges,  he  was 
distinguished  for  independence  of  thought,  and  firmness  in 
maintenance  of  what  he  believed  to  be  truth,  which  were 
marked  characteristics  of  his  mind  throughout  all  his  after 
life.  During  the  summer  of  1832,  he  visited  Philadelphia, 
where  the  cholera  was  raging  fearfully,  and  received  the  ap- 
pointment of  attending  physician  to  the  Arch  Street  Prison  ; 
the  duties  of  which  he  faithfully  discharged,  and  with  grati- 
fying success,  till  the  subsidence  of  the  pestilence.  In  the 
possession  of  fine  health  and  high  spirits,  and  being  strongly 
imbued  with  the  spirit  of  adventure,  he  removed  to  Memphis, 
Tennessee,  which  was  then  considered  a  frontier  town. 

78 


EEV.    DONALD   JOHN   AULD,    M.  D.  79 

But  here  the  hand  of  the  Lord  was  laid  upon  him.  Here 
commenced  that  "chastening,"  which  seemed  to  him  so 
"grievous,"  hut  which  afterwards  yielded  "  the  peaceable 
fruits  of  righteousness,"  and  worked  out  for  him  "  a  far 
more  exceeding  and  eternal  weight  of  glory."  Up  to  this 
period,  life  and  its  pleasures  were  ail  in  all  to  him  ;  and  in  his 
new  home,  his  genial  disposition  and  very  popular  manners 
soon  drew  around  him  a  large  circle  of  friends,  and  opened 
to  him  an  extensive  practice. 

From  too  great  exposure,  he  soon  became  a  victim  of 
rheumatism,  and  was  led  by  an.  unseen  hand  to  return  to 
Charleston  in  1835.  From  this  time  till  his  death,  a  period 
of  twenty-two  years,  he  never  knew  what  it  was  to  be 
entirely  well,  or  free  from  pain. 

In  the  course  of  the  year  1835,  it  pleased  God  to  deliver 
him  "from  the  power  of  darkness,"  and  to  translate  him 
"  into  the  kingdom  of  his  dear  Son."  From  this  time,  the 
burden  of  his  thoughts  was,  "  What  shall  I  render  unto  the 
Lord  for  all  his  benefits  towards  me  ?  "  And  oftentimes  to  his 
troubled  mind  would  arise  the  exclamation  of  St.  Paul, 
"  Necessity  is  laid  upon  me  ;  yea,  woe  is  unto  me,  if  I  preach 
not  the  gospel."  After  deep  and  prayerful  consideration, 
he  was  led  by  the  Spirit  to  offer  himself  a  "living  sacrifice  " 
unto  th-e  Saviour,  who  had  done  so  much  for  him.  Now  all 
was  clear  before  him,  and  he  entered  with  ardor  upon  his  The- 
ological studies  in  the  Seminery  at  Columbia,  S.  C.  In  1837, 
he  was  licensed  by  the  Presbytery  of  Charleston  to  preach 
the  gospel,  and  was  ordained,  in  1839,  by  the  same  Presbytery. 
The  first  two  years  of  his  ministry  were  devoted  to  the 
Wappetaw  Congregational  Church,  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Charleston,  and  to  the  Presbyterian  Church  at  Darlington, 
where  he  is  still  remembered  with  affection.  Early  in  1840, 
he  became  pastor  of  Harmony  and  Brewington  Churches,  in 
Sumpter  District.  In  this  pastorate  he  continued  eight 
years,  laboring  faithfully  and  with  much  success,  oftentimes 


80  NECROLOGY. 


SO  prostrated  in  health  that  it  was  a  matter  of  wonder  to 
his  friends  that  he  could  bear  up  under  so  much  bodily  afflic- 
tion, and  still  continue  his  ministerial  labors ;  and  yet,  amid 
all  this  suffering,  he  acquired  a  high  reputation  as  a  popular 
preacher  and  a  skillful  debater  in  the  judicatories  of  the 
Church.  At  one  time  during  this  period  he  was  reduced  to 
the  very  verge  of  the  grave,  and  recovery  seemed  hopeless, 
even  to  himself.  Yielding  to  the  earnest  solicitations  of  his 
friends,  he  visited  the  Warm  Sulphur  Springs  in  Virginia,  as 
a  last  resort,  but  with  no  beneficial  effect.  On  the  contrary, 
he  continued  to  grow  worse,  and  he  hastened  home  to  die,  as 
he  verily  believed.  In  passing  through  Charleston,  on  his 
return,  he  was  persuaded  by  a  friend,  who  had  been  a  simi- 
lar sufferer,  to  use  a  certain  remedy.  To  the  great  surprise 
of  himself  and  his  friends,  the  result  was  almost  magical, 
and  in  the  course  of  a  few  weeks  he  was  enabled  to  lay  aside 
his  crutches  and  walk  with  a  firm  and  elastic  step,  though  he 
was  never  restored  to  perfect  health.  At  the  time  when  he 
was  in  daily  expectation  of  death,  he  made  his  will,  which 
we  only  mention,  as  an  extract  from  that  document  affords 
an  insight  into  his  character,  and  beautifully  exhibits  the 
depth  and  earnestness  of  his  piety : 

"And,  first,  I  render  thanks  and  glory  to  the  most  gracious 
God,  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,  that  he  has  been 
pleased  to  call  me,  a  miserable,  helpless,  and  hopeless  sinner, 
to  a  knoweledge  of  himself,  the  only  true  God,  and  Jesus 
Christ,  whom  he  has  sent,  and  to  beget  me  again  unto  a 
lively  hope,  by  the  resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ;  and,  ac- 
cording to  his  gracious  word — contained  in  Jeremiah,  chapter 
49,  verse  11 — I  thankfully  and  humbly  leave  my  fatherless 
children  in  his  keeping,  and  exhort  my  widow  to  trust  in  him. 
.  .  .  Finally,  I  commend  my  perishing  body  and  my  im- 
mortal soul  to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  my  only  hope  and 
blessed  Redeemer,  to  whom  be  glory  forever.     Amen. 

In  1848,  he  accepted  a  call  to  Purity  Church,  in  Chester 


REV.    DONALD   JOHN   AULD,    M.  D.  81 

District,  where  he  labored  with  much  acceptance  for  four 
years,  still  maintaining  his  high  reputation  as  a  preacher 
and  a  faithful  witness  for  the  truth  as  contained  in  the  Holy 
Scriptures.  Some  one  or  more  of  the  great  fundamental 
truths  of  the  Bible,  which  are  so  hateful  to  the  carnal  mind, 
were  always  embodied  in  his  sermons ;  and  these  he  would 
bring  home  to  the  hearts  and  consciences  af  his  hearers  with 
great  power  and  logical  clearness.  But  while  he  kept  not 
back  "the  terrors  of  the  law"  and  the  thunders  of  Mount 
Sinai,  still  it  was  upon  the  love  and  mercies  of  Christ  that 
he  loved  mostly  to  dwell.  While  holding  up  to  view  the 
crucified  Saviour,  his  eye  would  kindle,  his  voice  gather 
strength,  and  his  feeble  frame  vibrate  with  deep  emotion : 
then  would  he  give  utterance  to  strains  of  such  fervid  elo- 
quence and  melting  pathos,  that  it  seemed  as  if  his  lips,  like 
Isaiah's,  had  been  touched  with  "  a  live  coal  from  off  tbe 
altar."     Truly,  with  him,  Christ  was  "all  and  in  all." 

In  1852,  he  removed  to  Florida,  and  became  pastor  of  the 
Church  in  Madison  county.  We  will  now  close  our  memoir 
with  an  extract  from  the  minutes  of  Florida  Presbytery : 

"  His  five  years'  pastorate  in  that  Church  has  made  an 
impression  on  this  Presbytery  which  cannot  soon  be  forgotten. 
Nor  will  his  self-denying  and  arduous  labors,  so  abundantly 
blessed  of  God  in  destitute  portions  of  our  territory,  cease  to 
be  remembered.  During  the  past  summer  (1857,)  brother 
Auld  yielded  to  the  earnest  application  of  the  Church  in 
Tallahassee ;  and  with  the  hope  that  he  was  entering  a  wider 
field  of  usefulness,  and  that  he  could  better  provide  for  the 
education  of  his  children,  he  became  their  pastor.  Alas ! 
that  pastorate  was  of  brief  duration.  In  a  little  more  than 
a  month  after  he  entered  upon  his  labors,  he  was  laid  upon  a 
bed  of  sickness,  from  which  he  was  never  to  rise  until  he  was 
carried  by  others.  His  sickness  was  the  sequel  of  an  alarm- 
ing illness,  which  confined  him  to  his  bed  for  several  weeks 
after  his  return  from  the  last  General  Assembly.  Five 
6 


82  NECROLOGY. 


weeks  he  lingered  in  agony ;  and  then,  on  the  29th  day  of 
October,  in  the  forty-eight  year  of  his  age  and  twentieth  of 
his  ministry,  without  knowing  that  he  was  dying,  so  gently 
fell  asleep  in  Jesus,  that  we  may  almost  say  he  was  "  trans- 
lated that  he  should  not  see  death."  His  couch  of  suffering 
was  a  place  of  instruction  ;  he  was  so  patient,  so  resigned,  so 
humble,  so  grateful,  so  affectionate.  At  the  close  of  a  period 
of  intense  agony,  as  a  brother  minister,  who  had  frequently 
yisited  him,  entered  the  room,  he  raised  both  his  hands  and 
exclaimed,  "  Nothing  but  thanks,  nothing  but  praise  this 
morning:  read  the  23d  Psalm."  *  *  *  j^  the  various 
relations  he  sustained,  brother  Auld  was  an  "example  to 
believers."  As  a  husband,  he  was  untiring  in  his  devotion; 
as  a  father,  so  affectionate  that  his  children  were  to  him 
•occasions  of  the  most  painful  anxieties ;  as  a  brother,  fond 
and  faithful ;  as  a  friend,  sincere  and  firm  ;  as  a  companion, 
affable  and  :genial;  as  a  man,  upright  and  conscientious. 
But  of  his  character  as  a  minister  of  the  gospel,  we  must 
more  particularly  speak.  A  ripe  scholar  and  a  hard  student, 
gifted  with  a  strong  intellect,  disciplined  by  long  continued 
culture,  he  brought  '  beaten  oil '  into  the  sanctuary.  His 
sermons  were  models  of  simplicity  of  style,  propriety  of 
diction,  clearness  in  the  exhibition  of  truth,  cogency  of 
reasoning,  pungency  as  well  as  persuasiveness  in  appeal,  and 
fullness  in  displaying  the  doctrines  of  grace.  Delivered  in 
easy  and  unaffected  manner,  they  never  fatigued  and  seldom 
failed  to  interest  the  hearer.  As  a  preacher,  brother  Auld 
was  exceedingly  popular ;  yet,  he  preached  doctrines  exceed- 
ingly offensive  to  the  carnal  mind.  As  a  pastor,  he  was 
faithful  and  devoted,  never  sparing  himself,  even  in  seasons 
of  great  bodily  weakness,  when  by  labor  he  could  promote 
the  comfort  of  others,  or  advance  the  interests  of  the  Church. 
His  rule  was,  never  to  be  absent  from  his  post  as  long  as  he 
had  strength  to  reach  it.  As  a  member  of  Presbytery,  we 
can  all  bear  testimony  to  his  kindness,  courtesy,  readiness 


REV.    DONALD   JOHN   AULD,    M.  D.  83 

for  every  good  word  and  work,  wisdom  in  counsel,  promptness 
in  action,  and  firmness  in  the  maintenance  of  the  truth. 

"  But  he  is  gone  !  we  miss  him  !  We  shall  miss  him  from 
our  firesides,  our  pulpits,  our  seats  in  Presbytery,  and  the 
communion  table,  where  we  were  wont  to  take  sweet  counsel 
together.  God  be  praised  for  the  gift  of  such  a  brother, 
and  make  us  resigned  to  his  loss." 

To  this  memoir  we  are  enabled  to  add  the  two  following 
letters,  as  farther  illustrative  of  the  character  of  the  deceased 
— the  first  from  the  late  lamented  Charles  Colcock  Jones, 
D.D.,  and  the  other  from  Mr.  J.  S.  Maxwell,  a  ruling  elder 
in  the  Tallahassee  Church,  Florida : 

RiCEBOEo',  November  10,  1857. 

Througli  the  kindness  of  a  friend,  I  have  had  the  perusal  of  a  letter 
from  a  member  of  the  Church  iu  Tallahassee,  over  which  our  lamented 
brother  Auld  was  pastor.  The  letter  contains  aifecting  statements, 
which  all  who  loved  him  will  be  happy  to  read  and  possess  for  them- 
selves ;  and,  I  am  sure,  both  the  writer  of  the  letter  and  the  friend  to 
whom  it  was  written,  will  yield  their  assent  to  the  use  I  now  make  of  it 
in  sending  you  an  extract. 

It  was  my  happiness  to  meet  brother  Auld  on  my  way  to  the  General 
Assembly  last  spring ;  and  we  ti-aveled  several  hundred  miles  together, 
by  land  and  water,  and  we  were  daily  and  close  companions.  I  had  not 
seen  him  before  for  years.  His  general  health  appeared  improved,  his 
spirits  excellent,  and  his  interest  in  all  around  him,  and  in  the  beautiful 
scenery  through  which  we  passed  constant.  He  enjoyed  everything, 
and  all  his  friends  and  acquaintances  enjoyed  him.  He  conducted 
evening  worship  for  us  on  board  the  steamboat,  and  we  well  remember 
the  faith  and  fervor  of  his  prayers.  He  was  a  man  naturally  of  unflinch- 
ing resolution,  warm  feelings,  and  firm  friendship.  And  all  these  traits 
were  sanctified  in  him.  He  was  resolved  in  his  devotion  to  the  Divine 
Master,  and  was  always,  openly  and  boldly,  a  professor  and  preacher  of 
His  name.  His  spiritual  afl'ections  were  tender.  He  had  love  for  the 
souls  of  men,  and  a  peculiar  love  towards,  and  confidence  in  his  brethren 
in  the  Lord ;  and  he  waited  upon  them  in  sickness  and  in  health,  in  joy 
and  in  sorrow,  because  lie  loved  them.  He  was  candid,  generous,  and 
gentlemanly  in  his  intercourse  with  men,  highly  intelligent,  and  a  very 
social  man,  with  a  sprightliness  and  vivacity  in  conversation  that  made 
his  society  not  only  agreeable,  but  attractive.  His  heart,  also,  was 
always  alive  to  the  interest  of  Christ's  kingdom,  and  always  willing  and 


84  NECROLOGY. 


ready  to  labor  for  it.  His  life  in  Florida  gave  ample  witness  of  hi» 
devotion  to  his  ministry.  He  had  become  deeply  interested  in  that  State, 
and  we  conversed  a  great  deal  about  its  spiritual  destitutions,  and  by 
what  means  they  could  be  best  supplied.  He  was  a  public  spirited  man, 
and  is  a  great  loss  to  the  State.  His  num-erous  friends  will  sincerely 
mourn  with  us  his  early  death,  and  will  not  fail  to  bear  in  remembrance, 
at  a  throne  of  grace,  his  afflicted  wife  and  childrsn. 

Very  truly,  yours,  C.  C.  JONES. 

The  letter  of  Mr.  Maxwell,  dated 

November  1,  1857. 

It  is  the  Sabbath,  but  I  cannot  under  the  circumstances  think  it  wrong 
to  address  y©u.  The  subject  which  I  propose  shall  be  the  main  topic  of 
this  letter,  though  a  painful  one,  is  fraught  with  comfort  and  consolation. 
It  is  the  death  of  our  pastor.  Dr.  Auld.  He  went  peacefully  to  his  eternal 
rest  on  Friday  morning  last.  Yes,  one  of  the  beat  men,  and  one  of  the 
most  faithful  preachers  of  Christ,  has  fallen.  He  came  among  us,  as  you 
know,  in  the  Summer — came  from  a  sick  bed,  and  has  not  enjoyed  a  well 
moment  to  the  hour  of  his  death.  He  would  preach,  however,  and  meet 
his  appointments  promptly,  often  with  fever  on  him.  His  last  sermon 
was  preached  at  Bell  Air.  He  went  to  the  desk  with  a  chill  on  him,  and 
never  in  my  life  did  I  hear  a  more  powerful  appeal  to  sinners  than  he 
made  that  night.  He  returned  home  next  day  and  retired  to  his  bed, 
from  which  he  was  carried  to  his  grave. 

It  was  my  privilege,  I  may  well  say,  my  primlege^tO' sit  nip  with  him  the 
whole  of  Thursday  night,  the  night  before  he  died.  Oh,  haw  vividly  did 
I  realize  that  night  the  Christian's  victory  over  death  and  the  grave.  He 
required  constant  attention,  so  that  my  companion  and  myself  never  left 
him  for  a  moment  until  daylight,  when  his  devoted  and  ss^f-sacrificing 
wife  relieved  us.  He  said  to  her,  "  My  dear  wife,  here  are  two  of  the 
best  nurses  that  ever  stood  by  me,"  and  tons,  "  God  bless  you,,  my  friends, 
you  will  be  rewarded.  Oh,  the  mercy  and  truth  of  God !  What  volumes 
are  comprehended  in  these  words  ?"  He  was  repeating  such  passages  of 
Scripture  as  tell  of  God's  mercy  and  truth  when  he  was  awake,  though 
we  begged  him  to  desist,  thinking  he  was  injured  thereby.  I  can  never 
forget  that  hoarse  and  husky  voice,  and  those  bright  animated  eyes  now 
closed  in  death.  He  repeated  the  whole  of  the  twenty-third  Psalm  with 
a  pathos  and  enunciation  that  I  never  heard  before.  "  The  Lord  is  my 
shepherd ;  I  shall  not  want.  He  maketh  me  to  lie  down  in  green  pastures ; 
be  leadeth  me  beside  tlxe  still  waters ;."  and  taking  his  feeble  arms  from 
under  the  covering,  and  making  a  circle  with  them,  he  repeated,  "  He 
restoreth  my  soul,"  saying,  "  so  when  I  have  wandered  away  from  Him, 
He  brings  me  back  to  the  fold."  I  asked  a  question  touching  his  willing- 
ness to  depart.  He  said,  "  Oh,  my  dear  sir,  I  am  willing ;  yes,  I  am  ready." 
He  had  not  much  acquaintance  with  my  companion,  and  looking  intently 
at  him  asked,  "  Have  you  professed  Christ  ?"  "  No,  Doctor,  I  have  never 
done  so."  "  My  dear  friend,  suppose  you  were  in  my  situation,  would 
there  be  time  now,  think  you?  Oh,  my  dear  sir,  what  would  you  do 
without  the  promises  of  a  covenant-keeping  God  to  support  and  comfort 
you  ?  Oh,  defer  not  a  matter  of  such  moment  to  a  dying  hour,"  &c.  He 
left  a  large  family— a  wife  and  seven  children. 


KEV.  BEJN'JAMIN  BURROUGHS, 


Benjamin  Burroughs  was  the  son  of  Benjamin  Burrouglis, 
and  was  born  in  the  city  of  Savannah,  on  the  25th  of  October, 
1807.  His  parents  were  pious,  and  members  of  the  Indepen- 
dent Church  in  that  city,  of  which  his  father  was  one  of  its 
elders  for  many  years.  He  was  carefully  trained  up  in  the 
nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord,  having  been  dedicated 
to  Him  in  infancy  by  baptism.  Of  his  early  education  we 
have  no  information — it  was  probably  in  some  of  the  city 
schools.  His  preparatory  studies  for  entering  college  were 
prosecuted  at  an  academy  in  Jamaica,  Long  Island,  New 
York,  under  the  care  of  a  Mr.  Eigenbrot. 

After  spending  four  years  at  this  academy,  he  entered 
Union  College,  Schenectady,  New  York,  Sophomore  Class, 
half  advanced.  During  his  Junior  vacation  he  visited  his 
parents  in  Savannah.  It  was  then  that  he  received  his  first 
permanent  religious  impressions,  under  the  preaching  of  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Bethune  ;  at  which  time  he  was  hopefully  converted, 
and  shortly  thereafter  made  a  public  profession  of  his  faith 
in  Christ,  and  was  received  into  the  communion  of  the  Inde- 
pendent Presbyterian  Church. 

He  graduated  with  honor  in  1828,  and  having  determined 
to  devote  himself  to  the  ministry  of  reconciliation,  he  shortly 
afterwards  entered  Princeton  Theological  Seminary.  During 
his  connection  with  the  seminary,  he  was  licensed  to  preach 
the  gospel,  by  the  Presbytery  of  New  York,  on  the  21st  of 
April,  1831.  In  the  autumn  of  that  year,  he  completed  his 
full  course  at  the  seminary.  Soon  after  his  graduation  there, 
he  received  a  call  to  become  the  pastor  of  a  Church  in  New 
York  City.  This  he  promptly  declined,  alleging  as  a  reason 
that  his  heart  was  with  his  beloved  South,  where  he  believed 

85 


86  NECROLOGY. 


lay  his  field  of  labor,  and  that  duty  called  him  to  work  in 
that  portion  of  his  Divine  Master's  vineyard. 

To  the  interests  of  the  home  of  his  birth  and  love,  he  was 
ever  heartily  alive  and  devoted,  ever  ready  to  defend  her  pe- 
culiar institutions,  assailed  as  they  were  even  at  that  day,  by 
the  spirit  of  rampant  fanaticism.  During  his  several  visits  to 
the  North  and  Northwest,  he  more  than  once  not  only  openly 
vindicated  the  South  from  undue  aspersions  and  unjust  charges 
brought  against  her  by  members  of  a  Christian  assembly,  but 
boldly  pronounced  them  false.  On  one  occasion,  during  a 
visit  to  one  of  the  New  England  States,  being  invited  to 
preach  in  one  of  its  Churches,  before  the  hour  of  service,  he 
was  waited  upon  by  some  of  the  elders,  and  requested  not 
to  officiate,  as  they  were  credibly  informed  that  a  party  had 
organized  to  mob  him  in  the  pulpit,  should  he  attempt  it. 
To  them  he  replied,  "If  you  fear  my  personal  safety  alone,  I 
shall  preach,  God  willing."  And  he  did  so,  without  the 
slightest  molestation,  the  crowd  merely  assembling  at  the 
doors  of  the  Church.  It  is  believed  that  he  preached  several 
times  after  to  the  same  community,  without  further  trouble. 
He  never  intruded  his  views  and  opinions  upon  the  questions 
which  had  so  long  and  violently  disturbed  the  grand  body  of 
the  Church  North,  but  whenever  assailed,  he  fearlessly  arose, 
and  while  modestly  rebuking  his  elders,  he  ably  defended  the 
rights  of  the  South,  never  yielding  once  to  the  remonstrances 
of  friends,  as  to  the  policy  of  silence  in  the  midst  of  enemies. 

Such  was  Benjamin  Burroughs,  in  defence  of  what  he  be- 
lieved to  be  truth  and  justice.  A  man  of  iron  nerve,  who 
never  faltered  nor  stood  abashed  before  the  most  formidable 
opposition.  He  seemed  more  fully  to  possess  the  indomitable 
spirit  of  John  Knox  or  Martin  Luther  than  any  other  man 
we  ever  knew. 

Mr.  Burroughs  became  the  stated  supply  of  the  Church  in 
Milledgeville  on  his  coming  South,  and  continued  in  that  rela- 
tion until   sometime  in  the  year  1833.     On   the   27th   of 


REV.    BENJAMIN   BURROUGHS.  87 

Nov.,  1833,  he  was  received,  by  a  regular  dismission  from 
the  Presbytery  of  New  York,  into  the  Presbytery  of  Georgia. 

After  leaving  Milledgeville,  he  became  the  stated  minister 
of  the  White  Bluflf  Congregational  Church,  near  Savannah, 
until  April  9,  1835,  when  he  was  appointed  by  the  Presbytery 
to  visit  the  Church  at  Tallahassee,  Florida,  then  vacant  and 
laboring  under  difficulties.  He  proceeded  to  Tallahassee,  and 
on  the  11th  of  May,  1885,  the  Church  made  out  a  regular 
Call  for  him  as  pastor.  This  call  was  presented  by  a  com- 
mittee of  the  congregation  at  the  next  meeting  of  Pres- 
bytery, November  3,  1835,  and  by  Presbytery  it  was  put  into 
his  hands,  and  by  him  accepted.  He  continued  his  ministerial 
labors  in  Tallahassee  until  the  1st  of  May,  1839,  when  he 
asked  leave  to  resign  his  charge,  as  the  bad  health  of  himself 
and  family  would  not  allow  him  to  remain  longer  in  Florida. 

Of  his  services  in  Tallahassee,  B.  F.  Whitner,  Esq.,  an 
elder  of  that  Church,  remarks  :  "  His  coming  among  us  was 
in  the  spirit  of  a  missionary,  and  not  without  its  privations 
in  other  regards  than  health.  From  1835  to  1839,  we  were 
employed  in  building  and  paying  for  a  Church  edifice,  at  a 
cost  of  over  ten  thousand  dollars,  and  Mr.  Burroughs  cheer- 
fully accepted  at  our  hands  less  than  a  support."  He  was 
highly  esteemed  and  beloved  by  the  Church,  and  they  parted 
with  him  with  regret." 

Returning  to  Georgia,  he  was  again  invited  to  become  the 
minister  of  White  Bluff  Church,  and  he  entered  regularly 
upon  his  duties  in  the  beginning  of  the  year  1840.  At  the 
Sessions  of  the  Synod  of  South  Carolina  and  Georgia,  in  No- 
vember, 1840,  he  was  set  off  with  other  ministers  to  form  the 
new  Presbytery  of  Florida.  To  this  he  consented,  on  account 
of  the  great  interest  which  he  had  in  the  religious  improve- 
ment of  the  State.  He  continued  in  connection  with  the 
Presbytery  of  Florida,  though  residing  and  ministering  in 
Georgia,  until  April  3,  ]  847,  when  he  was  received  back 
again  into  the  Presbytery  of  Georgia. 


NECROLOGY. 


Of  his  ministry  at  White  Bluff,  which  continued  from  1840 
to  1854,  Mr.  David  Adams,  an  aged  and  venerable  Christian 
man,  and  a  member  of  that  Church,  thus  speaks :  "  Too 
much  praise  cannot  be  given  to  Mr.  Burroughs  for  the  manner 
in  which  he  discharged  the  duties  of  pastor.  Having  settled 
permanently  among  the  people,  he  felt  himself  more  particu- 
larly interested  in  their  welfare,  as  being  identical  with  that 
of  the  community  in  which  his  own  interest  lay.  Hence  he 
visited  and  attended  upon  the  rich  and  the  poor,  with  more 
than  ordinary  zeal  and  labor.  It  was  his  invariable  habit 
never  to  suffer  a  regular  attendant  upon  the  services  of  the 
sanctuary  to  be  absent  more  than  twice  without  waiting  upon 
him  or  her,  ascertaining  the  cause  of  such  absence.  With 
such  a  spirit  of  labor  on  his  part,  in  conjunction  with  his 
forcible,  faithful,  searching  style  of  preaching,  it  was  to  be 
expected  that  so  long  as  there  was  material,  there  would 
appear  evidences  of  ministerial  success."  And  such,  in  fact, 
was  the  result  during  the  first  years  of  his  ministry.  In  the 
latter  part  of  it,  the  congregation  was  much  diminished  by 
death  and  removals.  His  spirits  were  affected  by  this  decline 
in  numbers  in  his  ministerial  charge,  and  two  years  before 
his  death  he  removed  to  the  city  of  Savannah,  and  became, 
in  addition  to  his  charge  at  White  Bluff,  a  city  missionary. 
In  this  field  he  labored  but  one  year,  yet  he  is  held  in  grate- 
ful remembrance  by  the  poor,  among  whom  he  went  about 
doing  good. 

To  all  classes  of  people  and  denominations  of  Christians 
at  White  Bluff  Church  the  memory  of  Mr.  Burroughs,  as  a 
kind  man  and  faithful  preacher,  is  dear.  Thus,  when  his 
estate  was  wound  up,  there  were  persons  who  purchased,  or 
desired  to  purchase,  articles  simply  as  memorials  of  one  for 
whom  they  entertained  so  much  respect  and  affection. 

About  a  year  before  his  own  death,  he  passed  through  a 
season  of  deep  affliction  in  the  loss  of  his  wife.  Their  attach- 
ment commenced  in  childhood,  and  increased  in  tenderness 


REV.   BENJAMIN   BURROUGHS.  89 

to  the  sad  moment  of  their  separation.  Six  children  survive 
their  parents. 

>  It  was  in  the  faithful  discharge  of  his  duties  as  a  city  mis- 
sionary in  Savannah,  in  the  memorable  summer  of  1854,  that 
he  contracted  the  epidemic  of  yellow  fever,  which  then  pre- 
vailed with  so  much  violence.  Untiring  in  his  efforts  to 
relieve  the  sufferings  of  the  sick  and  destitute,  he  labored  day 
and  night.  When  frequently  urged  by  his  friends  to  leave 
the  city,  he  uniformly  answered,  "  I  am  but  discharging  my 
duty,  and  I  feel  it  my  duty  to  remain."  But  being  persuaded 
to  accompany  his  brother  to  Richmond  Bath  he   reluctantly 

"consented,  with  the  intention  and  expectation  of  returning  to 
Savannah  in  ten  days.  He  arrived  at  Bath  on  Saturday, 
and  engaged  to  supply  the  pulpit  of  the  pastor  of  that  place 
the  next  day.  But  meanwhile  he  was  stricken  down  with 
yellow  fever,  and  died  the  following  Wednesday  night.  The 
Rev.  R.  K.  Porter,  pastor  of  that  Church,  was  with  him  in 
his  last  hours,  and  having  asked  him  if  he  could  assent  to  the 
truth  of  a  passage  of  Scripture  read  to  him,  he  replied,  "  0, 
yes,  I  have  never  received  God's  word  with  a  partial  faith, 
but  with  all  my  mind  and  heart."  These  were  the  last  words 
he  was  heard  to  utter. 

And  thus  did  he  die  as  he  had  lived,  by  faith  in  the  Son  of 
God.  He  was  truly  a  pious  man — strictly  sound  in  doctrine, 
and  devoted  to  his  own  branch  of  the  Church  of  Christ,  yet 
charitable  to  all  others.  Of  a  warm  and  sincere  address  in 
his  pulpit  exercises,  he  convinced  his  hearers  that  he  fully 
believed  and  felt  what  he  uttered  ;  and  this  prepared  them  to 
give  his  message  a  candid  consideration.  He  was  free  from 
attempts  at  display  or  affectation  of  wisdom  and  learning. 
His  aim  was  to  declare  the  truth  of  God,  and  thereby  to 
benefit  mankind.  He  was  modest  in  respect  to  his  own  at- 
tainments, deferential  to  the  opinions  and  judgment  of  others, 
especially  his  brethren  in  the  ministry,  for  whom  he  ever 
exhibited  respect  and  warm  affection.     He  was  generous,  and 


90  NECROLOGY. 


of  a  cheerful  and  agreeable  manner  and  temper,  and  his  long 
connection  with  the  Presbytery,  although  sometimes  tried, 
never  was  seen  the  shadow  of  unkind  feeling  to  pass  across  his* 
brow,  nor  was  heard  a  word  of  bitterness  to  escape  his  lips. 
He  was  full  of  brotherly  love,  and  was  always  an  agreeable, 
as  well  as  an  active  member  of  his  Presbytery,  whom  all  his 
brethren  loved. 

His  ministry,  especially  at  White  Bluff,  was  not  without  a 
Divine  blessing.  For  the  size  of  the  congregation,  there  oc- 
curred an  extensive  revival  while  he  acted  as  pastor  of  that 
Church ;  and  it  was  this  blessing  that  so  endeared  him  to  that 
people. 

He  was  enabled  to  bear  his  afflictions  with  meekness  and 
peaceful  submission  to  the  will  of  God;  and  when  called  to 
minister,  under  appalling  circumstances  to  the  sick  and  dying, 
his  spirit  was  undaunted  ;  and  when  he  was  himself  brought 
to  pass  through  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death,  falling  him- 
self under  the  dreadful  epidemic,  he  feared  no  evil,  for  his  soul 
was  stayed  upon  the  Divine  and  Precious  Redeemer. 

Mr.  Burroughs  died  in  his  fiftieth  year,  and  the  twenty- 
third'  of  his  ministry.  By  what  Presbytery  he  was  ordained, 
or  when,  we  have  not  learned,  but  probably  that  of  New  York, 


KEY.  SAMUEL  JONES   CASSELS. 


Samuel  Jones  Cassels  was  born  an  the  24th  of  February, 
1806.  Liberty  county,  Georgia,  (which  is  so  celebrated  in 
our  annals  for  the  number  of  ministers  which  it  has  given  to 
the  Church,)  was  the  place  of  his  nativity.  He  was  the 
subject  of  strong  religious  impressions  at  the  early  age  of 
twelve  years.  These  never  wore  oflF,  and  five  years  after,  he 
made  a  public  profession  of  religion,  and  connected  himself 
with  the  Midway  Congregational  Church. 

His  attention  was  soon  directed  to  the  ministry ;  and  in 
January  of  the  following  year,  under  the  care  of  the  Educa- 
tional Society  of  Liberty  county,  he  commenced  his  prepara- 
tion for  College  in  the  Grammar  School  at  Athens.  So 
great  was  his  aptness  for  learning,  and  his  ardor  and  energy 
in  pursuing  his  studies,  that  in  the  short  space  of  eleven 
months,  he  had  finished  his  preparatory  course,  and  was 
adlnitted,  after  examination,  as  a  student  of  Franklin  College. 
He  graduated  August  6,  1828,  with  the  highest  academical 
honors  that  the  College  could  bestow. 

During  his  collegiate  course,  he  labored  with  untiring  zeal 
and  great  success  for  the  salvation  of  his  fellow-students. 
The  College,  before  his  entrance  into  it,  was  notorious  for 
its  dissipation,  irreligion,  and  immorality,  and  for  the  disor- 
derly conduct  of  the  students.  The  President,  (the  venerable 
Dr.  Waddel,)  as  a  remedy  for  these  evils,  which  seemed 
beyond  the  reach  of  ordinary  discipline,  advised  the  Trustees 
to  ofi"er  publicly  to  educate,  at  the  expense  of  the  State^ 
several  young  men  having  the  ministry  in  view,  hoping  that 
their  example  and  influence  would,  like  salt  cast  into  the 
mass  tending  to  corruption,  correct  the  evil.     The  Trustees 

*  MSS.  Rev.  J.  B.  Ross,  Dr.  Joha  Leyburn,  T.  Q.  Cassels. 
91 


92 


NECROLOGY. 


adopted  the  suggestion,  and  our  brother  was  among  the  first 
who  entered  the  College  under  this  arrangement.  The  result 
showed  the  wisdom  of  the  President's  advice.  The  College, 
during  brother  Cassels'  connection  with  it,  and  greatly 
through  his  zealous  instrumentality,  was  visited  with  two 
powerful  revivals  of  religion.  In  the  first,  out  of  the  one 
hundred  students  then  in  attendance  on  its  instructions,  fifty 
made  a  profession  of  religion ;  and  in  the  second,  fifty  more, 
connected  with  the  institution,  were  added  to  the  Church. 

His  energy  and  industry  are  exhibited  in  the  fact,  that 
while  pursuing  his  collegiate  course,  he  studied  Theology 
under  Dr.  Waddel ;  and  a  few  days  after  his  graduation,  he 
was  examined  and  licensed  to  preach  the  gospel  by  Hopewell 
Presbytery.  After  his  licensure,  he  was  engaged  in  teaching 
an  academy  in  Bath,  Richmond  county,  and  there  acquired 
much  distinction  as  an  instructor  of  youth.  But  the  school 
did  not  prevent  him  from  laboring  abundantly  and  earnestly 
in  the  destitute  neighborhoods  around  Bath. 

He  was  ordained  in  Augusta  on  the  17th  of  February, 
1829;  was  called  to  the  Church  in  Washington,  Wilkes 
county,  Georgia,  in  October,  1881,  and  removed  thither  the 
following  January,  and  was  installed  in  November  of  the 
same  year.  Toward  the  latter  part  of  1836,  he  received  a 
call  to  Macon,  and  removed  thence ;  and  in  November  of  the 
following  year,  was  installed  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  in  that  city. 

His  next  pastoral  charge  wras  in  Norfolk,  Virginia,  where 
he  continued  until  the  spring  of  1846,  when  he  Avas  com- 
pelled to  resign  it,  on  account  of  ill  health.  He  then  removed 
to  the  city  of  Savannah,  Georgia,  and  opened  a  school,  and 
was  prospered.  He  was  elected  Principal  of  the  Chatham 
Academy,  which  position  he  continued  to  occupy  until  the 
time  of  his  death. 

Our  brother  was  an  eloquent,  acceptable,  and  remarkably 
i3ucces.sful  preacher  of  the  gospel.     He  preached  much  at 


REV.   SAMUEL  JONES   CASSELS. 


camp-meetings  and  in  revivals,  in  the  upper  part  of  the  State 
of  Georgia,  during  the  first  years  of  his  ministry;  was 
engaged  as  a  chief  laborer  in  the  extensive  religious  excite- 
ment in  and  about  Princeton,  N.  J.,  in  1841,  and  also,  a  fev? 
months  after,  in  a  great  awakening  in  the  Churches  of  East 
Hanover  Presbytery,  Virginia,  during  which  some  seventy  or 
more  additions  were  made  to  his  own  pastoral  charge. 

He  was  at  length  prevented,  by  the  frequent  recurrence  of 
hemorrhage  and  the  loss  of  his  voice,  from  preaching ;  but 
continued,  to  within  two  weeks  of  his  death,  (though  extremely 
weak  and  emaciated,  and  suffering  at  times  dreadfully  from 
his  disease,)  to  labor  with  his  pen.  Under  the  signature  of 
^^Paul  the  Prisoner"  he  spoke  weekly  to  the  readers  of  the 
Southern  Presbyterian  ;  wrote  articles  for  the  Southern  Pres- 
byterian Meview,  and  tracts,  which  have  been,  or  soon  will  be, 
published. 

As  a  preacher,  brother  Cassels  was  remarkable  for  his 
extempore  powers ;  for  the  vividness  of  his  conceptions  of 
truth,  his  clear  and  simple  manner  of  arrangement,  and  the 
lucid  way  in  which  he  presented  truth  to  the  minds  of 
the  people ;  for  his  felicity  of  illustration ;  for  the  ten- 
der solicitude  which  he  manifested  for  his  hearers,  and 
for  the  animation  of  his  delivery.  He  was  moved  and  melted 
down  by  the  great  truths  he  stood  up  to  proclaim,  and  he 
moved  and  melted  down  those  who  heard  him. 

His  death  illustrated  the  power  of  religion  he  had  so  long 
professed.  During  his  long  and  protracted  sickness,  he  bore 
his  sufferings  with  patience  and  submission  to  the  will  of 
God,  grew  rapidly  in  meetness  for  his  great  change^  and  was 
inwardly  supported  in  a  surprising  manner  by  Divine  grace. 
He  acknowledged  God's  wisdom  and  mercy  in  causing  him 
to  pass  through  the  furnace  of  affliction.  To  the  last,  he 
retained  his  clearness  of  mind  and  confidence  of  hope.  Not 
a  cloud  cast  its  shadow  over  his  soul  during  his  passage 
through  the  dark  valley.     With  affectionate  solicitude,  he 


94  NECROLOGY. 


commended  his  afflicted  partner  and  children  to  his  friends 
around  him,  for  support  and  comfort.  Whenever  his  extreme 
exhaustion  would  permit,  he  was  engaged  in  bearing  testi- 
mony to  the  wonderful  grace  and  condescension  of  God 
towards  him,  and  in  speaking  lovingly  a  word  of  encourage- 
ment and  exhortation  to  friends  gathered  around.  As  the 
effusion  on  his  lungs  mounted  higher  and  higher,  lessening 
more  and  more  the  space  for  vital  air,  he  whispered,  "  The 
change  is  coming,"  and  calmly  folded  his  hands  across  his 
breast  and  died.  May  each  of  those  who  shull  read  this 
short  sketch,  live  as  well,  as  usefully,  and  die  as  serenely 
and  happily  as  our  dear  departed  and  sainted  brother. 

J.  B.  R. 

"  His  funeral,  held  in  the  city  of  Savannah,  was  numer- 
ously and  most  respectably  attended.  The  next  day,  his 
remains  were  brought  for  interment  to  Midway  graveyard. 
That  was  the  Church  at  whose  altar  he  dedicated  himself  to 
the  Lord,  and  in  its  cemetery  he  desired  to  rest  until  the 
last  trumpet  shall  sound.  This  wish  he  expressed  in  a  senti- 
ment he  sent  to  be  read  at  our  late  county  centennial  cele- 
bration :  '  Liberty  county — the  place  of  my  first  and  second 
birth ;  to  be  the  place  of  my  third.'  " 

"  His  piety  was  unquestionable,  his  talents  extraordinary, 
and  his  industry  and  energy  not  less  striking.  The  writer 
remembers,  some  ten  years  ago,  to  have  seen  a  letter  from 
the  venerable  Dr.  Alexander,  of  Princeton,  (where  brother 
Cassels  was  then  laboring  in  a  revival  of  religion,)  in  which 
he  gave  it  as  his  opinion,  that  as  an  eflfective  gospel  preacher, 
brother  Cassels  scarcely  had  his  equal  in  the  Presbyterian 
Church. 

"  He  died  June  15,  1853.  The  day  before  he  died,  this 
text.  Psalms  xvii:  15 — 'As  for  me,  I  will  behold  thee  in 
righteousness ;  I  shall  be  satisfied  when  I  awake  in  thy  like- 
ness ' — was  the  topic  of  an  interesting  and  instructive  con- 
versation with  a  brother  minister.    He  spoke  in  humble  tone, 


EEV.    SAMUEL   JONES   CASSELS.  95 

but  in  an  elevated  strain,  of  his  approaching  conformity  to 
Christ.  This  hope  of  the  heart,  which  had  been  so  long  his 
sustaining  principle,  and  had  given  decision  to  his  character, 
clearness  to  his  understanding,  comfort  in  sorrow,  encour- 
agement in  imperfection,  now  held  steadfast  to  the  end." 

From  Tlwmas  Q.  Cassels. 
McIntosh,  Liberty  Countt,  April  26,  1864. 

Dr.  /.  S.  Wilson — My  Dear  Sir :  I  have  had  sickness  in  my  family  ever 
since  I  received  your  letter,  asking  information  respecting  my  deceased 
brotiier,  Rev.  IS.  J.  Cassels.    *    *    * 

My  brother,  by  his  mother's  side  of  the  fapaily,  (who  was  a  Miss  Jones,) 
was  a  regular  descendant  of  the  Puritans.  His  ancestors  came  originally 
from  Dorchester,  Massachusetts,  to  Dorchester,  South  Carolina,  and 
from  thence  to  St.  John's  Parish,  now  Liberty  county.  His  grandmother 
was  a  Miss  Baker.  She  was  a  sister  of  the  late  Dr.  Daniel  Baker's  father. 
Hi»connections  are  numerous  in  this  county.  Judge  Alfred  Iverson,  of 
Columbus,  is  also  a  near  kinsman,  his  mother  and  the  Judge's  having 
been  sisters.  His  father  was  a  Carolinian,  a  descendant  of  the  Huguenots- 
Mrs.  Robert  Toombs  and  the  Rev.  John  E.  DuBose,  of  Tallahassee,  Fla., 
are  the  only  relations  that  we  know  on  the  paternal  side.  From  early 
youth  he  was  impressed  with  a  deep  reverence  for  divine  things.  His 
fondness  for  the  Bible  was  very  remarkable,  having  read  it  entirely 
through  three  times  by  the  time  he  was  ten  years  old.  He  was  taken  by 
his  uncle,  Mr.  Samuel  Jones,  (after  whom  he  was  named,)  when  about 
fifteen  or  sixteen  years  of  age,  and  sent  to  school.  When  he  reached  his 
seventeenth  year,  he  became  a  clerk  in  a  store  in  Sunbury.  While  thus 
engaged,  he  studied  Latin  under  the  Rev.  Adam  Holmes,  of  the  Baptist 
denomination.  In  1822,  he  left  Sunbury  and  went  to  Athens,  Ga.,  and 
lived  for  some  time  in  the  family  of  Dr.  Waddel,  and  attended  the 
Grammar  School  in  connection  with  the  XJniversity  of  Georgia. 

From  the  Rev,  John  Leyhurn,  D.  D. 

Richmond,  July  27,  1864. 

Reverend  and  Bear  Sir : — Your  note  of  the  20th  ultimo,  asking  my 
recollections  of  the  late  Rev.  Samuel  J.  Cassels  as  a  preacher,  should 
have  been  responded  to  sooner,  but  for  various  unavoidable  hindrances. 

My  first  acquaintance  with  Mr.  Cassels  was  in  the  autumn  of  1843, 
soon  after  his  settlement  in  Norfolk,  when  he  came  to  assist  me  in  a  series 
of  meetings  during  a  revival  in  my  Cliurch  in  Petersburg.  He  remained 
with  us  on  that  occasion  some  two  weeks,  and  then,  and  very  often 
afterwards,  I  had  the  opportunity  of  hearing  him  preach.  Indeed,  we 
became  very  intimate,  and  often  exchanged  visits,  and  labored  together. 


96  NECROLOGY. 


I  bad  formed  high  expectations  of  his  preaching  powers,  from  accounts 
I  had  seen  and  heard  of  the  extraordinary  inopression  he  had  made  upon 
the  professors,  students,  and  community  at  Princeton,  N.  J.,  during  a 
visit  to  that  place  not  long  before.  These  expectations  were  not  disap- 
pointed. As  a  preacher  in  revivals,  I  have  rarely,  if  ever,  heard  his 
equal.  His  facility  in  preparation  was  almost  marvellous.  It  seemed  to 
cost  him  no  effort  to  strike  out  appropriate  and  admirable  viens  of 
thought.  His  plans  were  ingenious  and  original,  and  they  were  filled 
out  with  tine  material,  and  often  irradiated  with  passages  of  singular 
beauty.  Indeed,  when  warmed  by  a  revival  atmosphere,  and  under  the 
stimulus  of  continuous  preaching,  his  mind  fairly  flashed  with  brilliancy. 

Most  of  the  sermons  preached  during  the  meetings  at  Petersburg, 
were  composed  on  the  morning  of  the  day  they  were  delivered,  and 
usually,  in  a  great  part,  before  he  left  his  bed.  He  had  a  great  fondness 
for  the  allegorical ;  and  I  can  never  forget  a  sermon  of  this  character  on 
the  Straight  Gate.  Faith  and  Repentance  were  his  gate-posts.  His  vivid 
pictures  rendered  the  gate  almost  visible,  whilst  his  expositions  of  doc- 
trine and  duty  showed  that  he  was  not  simply  dealing  in  the  fanciful^but 
availing  himself  of  a  striking  and  ingenious  method  for  inculcating  and 
enforcing  truth.  His  discourse  from  the  text,  "  His  blood  be  on  us  and 
on  our  children,"  I  thought,  perhaps,  the  most  powerful  and  thrilling 
pulpit  effort  I  had  ever  listened  to.  This  was  one  of  the  sermons  I  had 
heard  of  his  having  preached  with  effect  at  Princeton. 

Mr.  Cassels'  manner  was  not,  as  is  usually  called,  oratorical.  He  had 
nothing  of  the  oro  rot^mdo,  nor  the  elegant  roli  of  sonorous  sentences. 
His  language  was  simple,  chaste,  and  admirably  chosen,  so  as  to  bring 
out  his  thoughts  distinctly  and  clearly.  There  was  no  mere  verbiage. 
His  sentences  were,  for  the  most  part,  short  andVpithy,  and  often  came, 
with  the  sharpness  and  precision  of  a  rifle-shot,  directly  to  the  conscience. 
Always  earnest,  but  never  boisterous  or  declamatory,  it  was  impossible 
to  listen  to  him  without  feeling  that  his  own  heart  was  deeply  moved  by 
the  thoughts  he  was  endeavoring  to  impress  upon  others.  At  times, 
indeed,  his  manner  was  characterized  by  an  indescribable  tenderness. 
This  was  especially  the  case  when  holding  up  the  Saviour  to  the  ruined 
sinner.  Then  his  soul  seemed  to  be  melted  with  love  for  his  Redeemer, 
and  for  the  perishing.  I  have  never  heard  a  preacher  of  whom  it  was 
more  eminently  true,  that  Christ  and  his  cross  was  all  his  theme.  Indeed, 
he  perhaps  gave  this  too  literal  an  interpretation,  dwelling  almost  entirely 
on  the  work  and  claims  of  our  Saviour,  to  the  exclusion  somewhat  of 
the  obligations  and  penalties  of  God's  offended  law.  His  voice  was  not 
of  the  full,  rich,  sonorous  description,  nor  had  the  clear,  clarion  ring. 
Sometimes  it  was  almost  husky;  but,  tuned  by  his  gushing,  tender, 
yearning  spirit,  it  not  unfrequently  gave  out  notes  of  exquisite  pathos, 
which  even  now  I  can  recall. 


REV.    SAMUEL  JONES   CASSELS.  97 


Amidst  the  animating  scenes  of  a  revival  our  brother  threw  himself 
into  his  work  with  a  relish  and  cheerfulness  and  an  absorption  which 
could  not  be  surpassed.  He  was  then  completely  a  man  of  one  idea. 
Everything  else  seemed  to  be  forgotten,  and  morning,  noon  and  night,  in 
the  house  of  God,  in  the  prayer  meeting,  visiting  from  house  to  house,  or 
in  the  retirement  of  the  home  circle,  that  one  subject  was  always  in  his 
thoughts  and  on  liis  lips.  Well  do  I  remember  how  that  somewhat  rug- 
ged visage  used  to  light  up  until  suffused  with  joy — how  his  eye  sparkled 
— how  he  would  start  up  in  his  chair — and  how  the  laugh  of  exhilaration 
would  burst  forth,  as  he  heard  or  talked  of  the  various  cases  and  charac- 
ters whose  mental  exercises,  struggles  and  triumphs  were  the  prominent 
events  of  those  happy  days. 

It  is  greatly  to  be  regretted  that  our  lamented  brother  has  left  no 
adequate  memorial  of  his  remarkable  pulpit  powers.  At  his  decease,  he 
requested  that  his  manuscripts  should  be  placed  in  my  hands,  and  I 
fondly  hoped  that  it  was  to  be  my  privilege  to  present  to  the  Church  a 
collection  of  his  sermons,  which  would  prove  a  rich  and  enduring  treas- 
ure. But  what  was  my  disappointment  on  looking  over  bis  papers,  to 
find  that  they  consisted  chiefly  of  the  products  of  his  earlier  ministry, 
and  of  serial  didactic  discourses.  Neither  in  matter  nor  style  did  they 
resemble  what  had  given  such  delight  to  his  Virginia  auditoi's.  I  do  not 
doubt  that  that  portion  of  his  life  from  the  time  of  his  visit  to  Princeton 
to  his  leaving  Virginia,  with  broken-down  health,  was  his  halcyon  day 
as  a  preacher.  The  continuous  revivals  called  out  the  powers  of  his 
mind  and  heart  under  circumstances  which  seemed  almost  to  invest  him 
with  new  gifts.  But  of  these  rich,  glowing,  scriptural,  gospel  sermons, 
well  nigh  nothing  remains.  None  of  them  were  reduced  to  writing,  not 
even  that  noble  one  from,  "  His  blood  be  upon  us,  and  upon  our  children," 
However  well  matured  in  his  own  mind,  they  were  extemporaneous  as 
to  their  delivery,  and  alas!  have  died  with  him. 

It  is  not  surprising  that  his  consuming  zeal,  restless  energy,  and  almost 
entire  disregard  of  himself,  should  have  resulted  in  the  breaking  down  of 
his  health.  As  to  the  last  mentioned  particular,  he  was  almost  reckless. 
He  had  naturally  a  fine  constitution,  and,  as  the  event  proved,  presumed 
too  much  upon  it.  When  I  used  to  remonstrate  with  him  about  not 
taking  better  care  of  himself,  he  would  sometimes  laughingly  say,  that 
Dr.  Olin  had  once  remarked  "  it  was  very  hard  to  raise  a  man  in  the 
part  of  the  country  he  (Mr.  Cassels)  came  from,  but  when  you  had  raised 
him,  it  was  very  hard  to  kill  him." 

But  though  his  days  seemed  unduly  shortened,  he  did  a  noble  work. 
His  pastorate  at  Norfolk  was  instrumental  in  adding  largely  to  that 
Church,  and  in  greatly  edifying  those  already  in  it,  whilst  in  the  Churches 
of  Richmond  and  Petersburg,  and  elsewhere  in  the  Synod  of  Virginia, 
his  preaching  was  attended  with  the  happiest  results. 

7 


NECROLOGY. 


I  have  spoken,  as  j'ou  perceive,  only  of  the  Virginia  portion  of  our 
beloved  brother's  life.  Of  his  labors  in  your  own  State,  you  are  better 
informed,  i  saw  him  in  Savannah  after  disease  had  made  sad  inroads 
on  his  fine  constitution.  His  spirit  still  shone  with  undimmed  lustre. 
But  though  the  spirit  was  more  than  willing,  the  flesh  was  too  weak  to 
permit  his  longer  engaging  in  those  labors  for  his  Master  in  which  he  so 
much  delighted.  His  work  as  a  minister  in  Christ's  Church  was  done, 
and  in  ftiith  and  joyful  hope  he  was  waiting  for  that  rest  into  which  he 
was  so  soon  to  enter,  and  whither  his  works  will  long  continue  to  follow 

bim. 

Yours  fraternally, 

JOHN  LEYBURK 


REV.  REMEMBRANCE  CHAMBERLAIN  * 


Kemembrance  Chamberlain  was  born  in  the  town  of 
South  Newberry,  in  the  State  of  Vermont,  December  2,  1789. 
He  was  of  Puritan  ancestry.  Of  his  youthful  days  and  early 
training,  we  know  nothing.  He  was  not  communicative  on 
subjects  connected  with  his  personal  history,  and  hence  almost 
all  our  information  concerning  him  we  have  obtained  from 
others.  His  parents,  though  not  wealthy,  were  possessed  of 
a  competency  of  this  world's  goods. 

He  was  entered  as  a  student  at  Middlebury  College  in  1810, 
and  graduated  in  1814.  During  two  years  after  leaving  college 
hew^s  employed  in  teaching,  first  in  the  town  of  Cavendish,  and 
then  at  Royalton,  in  his  native  State.  He  was  highly  accepta- 
ble and  successful  in  this  vocation.  But  not  purposing  to  make 
teaching  his  business  for  life,  and  having  chosen  the  medical 
profession,  he  repaired  to  Philadelphia  and  entered  the  medi- 
cal departmant  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  in  the 
winter  of  1816.  Here  he  continued  only  a  few  months.  God 
had  other  work  for  him  than  the  pursuit  of  the  healing  art 
— another  and  more  important  field  to  occupy — not  the  heal- 
ing of  the  maladies  of  the  body,  but  the  cure  of  souls.  The 
Master  had  need  of  him,  and  he  sent  Him  into  his  vineyard. 

He  entered  the  Theological  Seminary  at  Princeton,  New 
Jersey,  in  the  spring  of  1817,  and  received  a  certificate  of 
having  completed  the  prescribed  course  in  that  Institution  in 
1820.  He  was  a  classmate,  in  the  seminary,  of  Drs.  Hodge, 
Nevins  and  Post,  and  probably  of  Bishop  Johns,  of  Virginia. 
He  was  the  intimate  and  strongly  attached  friend  of  the 
gifted  and  lamented  Sylvester  Larned,  whose  sun  went  down 
so  early  in  life,  a  victim  of  the  climate  of  New  Orleans. 

*MSS.  from  Dr.  Wilsoa. 


100  NECROLOGY. 


Soon  after  leaving  the  seminary,  he  received  license  to 
preach  the  gospel  from  a  Congregational  Association  in  his 
native  State.  Afterwards  he  spent  some  time  in  the  State 
of  Kentucky  as  a  missionary,  and  was  a  highly  popular 
young  minister.  Upon  his  return  from  this  field  of  labor,  he 
determined  to  come  South.  He  arrived  in  Georgia  in  the  winter 
or  spring  of  1820*,  and  shortly  thereafter  connected  himself 
with  the  Presbytery  of  Georgia,  and  settled  in  Burke  county. 
His  first  field  of  labor  in  this  State  was  at  Wayoesboroughi, 
Burke  county.  He  had  been  ordained  before  he  came  South, 
probably  by  the  Association  which  had  licensed  him.  In  the 
spring  of  1822,  he  joined  the  Presbytery  of  Hopewell  on  a 
certificate  from  the  Presbytery  of  Georgia,  at  Bethany,  Green 
county,  Georgia.  He  subsequently  had  charge,  as  a  tempo- 
rary supply,  successively,  of  the  Presbyterian  Churches  of 
Madison,  Morgan  county,  of  Jackson,  Butts  county,  of  Mon- 
ticello,  Jasper  county,  and  for  a  time  he  labored  statedly  in 
the  Decatur  Presbyterian  Church,  DeKalb  county.  About 
this  period  he  traveled  extensively  through  the  middle  coun- 
ties of  the  State,  and  organized  a  number  of  Churches,  some 
as  far  west  as  the  border  counties  on  the  Chattahoochee  River. 
He  was  an  Evangelist  in  the  full  sense  of  the  termi.  He 
went  everywhere  preaching  the  Word,  and  establishing 
Churches.  He  cared  not  to  build  on  another  man's  founda- 
tion, but  preached  the  Word  "  in  the  regions  beyond."  There 
are  very  few  Churches  of  our  denomination  in  the  central 
and  western  part  of  the  State,  where  his  voice  has  not  been 
heard.  He  zealously  and  successfully  labored  for  the  exten- 
sion of  the  Church  of  Christ. 

Presbyterianism  had  little  more  than  a  nominal  existence 
in  Georgia  prior  to  the  year  1820.  There  had  existed  a  few 
scattered  Churches,  here  and  there,  for  more  than  half  a  cen- 
tury. But  they  were  few  and  far  between.  The  Churches 
of  Augusta,  Waynesborough,  Washington,  Bethany,  Mount 
Zion,  Greensborough,  New  Hope,  Thyatira,  and  a  few  other 


REV.  REMEMBRANCE  CHAMBERLAIN.        101 

organizations,  which  had  a  being  rather  nominal  than  real, 
comprised  most  of  the  Presbyterian  element  in  the  State. 
There  were  no  Churches  in  Athens  or  Milledgeville.  The 
site  of  the  city  of  Macon  was  a  pine  forest,  and  that  of  Co- 
lumbus an  Indian  old  field  around  the  Coweta  Falls  of  the 
Chattahoochee. '  There  were  no  Churches  in  LaGrange, 
Newnan  or  Decatur.  The  Church  at  Lawrenceville  was  or- 
ganized by  Mr.  Chamberlain  in  1823.  The  great  west  of  the 
State  was  an  unbroken  forest — the  home  of  the  red  man. 
There  were  few  ministers  of  our  faith  in  the  State.  In  1819, 
Dr.  Waddel  was  called  to  the  Presidency  of  Franklin  Col- 
lege. At  his  suggession,  the  trustees  adopted  a  resolution 
to  educate,  at  the  expense  of  the  State,  so  far  as  college 
expenses  were  concerned,  such  young  men  of  any  denomina- 
tion, having  the  gospel  ministry  in  view,  as  should  desire  it. 
Within  three  or  four  years  thereafter  several  young  men 
entered  the  ministry  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  To  our 
brother  Chamberlain,  and  a  few  others,  who  came  into  the 
State  about  the  same  time,  is  to  be  attributed,  under  the  bless- 
ing of  God,  the  rise  and  extension  of  our  Church  within  its 
borders. 

Brother  Chamberlain  was  a  wise  counsellor,  and  an  ener- 
getic pioneer.  He  never  accepted  a  permanent  pastorate, 
or,  in  other  words,  was  never  installed  the  pastor  of  any 
Church.  He  labored  either  as  a  stated  supply,  or  as  a 
missionary  evangelist,  or  as  a  financial  agent,  all  his  days. 
His  admirable  financial  and  business  talents  soon  pointed 
him  out  as  one  highly  qualified  to  take  charge  of  the  pecu- 
niary interests  of  the  Church.  There  was  much  to  be  done 
in  this  respect  in  Georgia  at  that  time.  The  Domestic 
Missionary  work  had  to  be  organized  and  sustained,  and 
provision  to  be  made  for  the  education  of  young  men  for  the 
ministry.  Much  of  this  labor  devolved  upon  him.  There- 
fore, the  greater  part  of  his  ministerial  life  was  spent  in 
connection  with  these  agencies.     The  Georgia  Educational 


102  NECROLOGY. 


Society  and  the  Georgia  Missionary  Society  owed  much  of 
their  efficiency  and  success  to  his  labors.  He  was  for  a  time 
the  Agent  of  the  Gwinnett  Institute,  a  school  for  the  educa- 
tion of  young  men. 

But  the  great  and  last  work  of  this  kind,  (and  to  which  he 
probably  fell  a  martyr,)  was  the  agency  in  behalf  of  Ogle- 
thorpe University.  This  institution,  when  transferred  to 
the  care  of  the  Synod,  was  found  to  be  overwhelmed  with  a 
crushing  debt,  from  which,  unless  speedily  relieved,  it  must 
cease  its  existence  under  the  hammer  of  the  auctioneer.  The 
importance  of  maintaining  a  school  for  the  education  of  our 
young  men  under  Presbyterian  influence,  was  felt  by  all, 
and  by  none  more  than  our  brother  Chamberlain.  He, 
therefore,  enlisted  in  an  effort  to  relieve  it,  with  all  his  heart 
and  soul.  As  the  financial  Agent  of  the  College,  he  was 
instrumental  in  securing  a  sum  little  less  than  one  hundred 
thousand  dollars.  Its  creditors  were  numerous,  and  their 
claims  large.  To  his  prudence  and  management  was  com- 
mitted, almost  exclusively,  the  settlement  with  these  creditors 
the  onerous  debt  which  so  weighed  down  its  energies  and 
blighted  its  prospects.  The  collection  of  funds  and  the 
arrangement  of  claims,  called  into  exercise  the  most  intense 
efforts  of  both  body  and  mind  for  several  successive  years. 
It  was  a  herculean  task,  indeed,  to  pay  its  debts,  and  at  the 
same  time  keep  the  institution  in  operation.  There  are  few 
who  know  the  labor  and  anxiety  it  cost.  Yet,  with  the 
blessing  of  God,  he  accomplished  it,  and  accomplished  it  well. 

The  President  of  the  University  has  very  justly  remarked, 
in  a  letter  to  his  biographer,  "  His  self-denying  labors  and 
toils  for  Oglethorpe  University  will  ever  be  highly  appre- 
ciffted.  They  were  arduous  and  protracted,  and  oftentimes 
given  when  his  failing  health  seemed  to  justify  his  resting, 
instead  of  laboring." 

In  the  prosecution  of  this  enterprise,  he  necessarily  trav- 
eled extensively  through  South  Carolina,  Alabama,  Georgia, 


REV.    REMEMBRANCE    CHAMBERLAIN.  103 

and  Florida,  and  formed,  perhaps,  a  larger  personal  acquain- 
tance with  ministers  and  Churches  than  any  other  man  in 
his  day.  He  was  certainly  one  of  the  best  judges  of  human 
nature  we  ever  knew.  His  intercourse  with  men  seemed  to 
have  given  him  an  almost  intuitive  knowledge  of  the  princi- 
ples and  drift  of  men,  at  least  in  money  matters. 

At  length,  amid  these  toils,  symptoms  of  apoplexy  and 
paralysis  began  to  be  developed,  which  admonished  him  to 
resign  the  agency  he  had  so  long  and  successfully  prosecuted. 
He  afterwards  visited  his  native  State,  and  attended  the 
sessions  of  the  General  Assembly  of  1854  as  a  Commissioner 
from  Hopewell  Presbytery.  On  returning  to  his  home,  he 
began  to  set  his  house  in  order  for  his  departure.  He  dis- 
posed of  his  wordly  affairs,  dividing  his  property  between 
his  two  sons,  reserving  only  what  he  supposed  would  be  a 
competence  for  his  support  during  his  few  remaining  days. 
He  then  retired  to  the  quiet  village  of  Decatur,  where  he 
spent  the  little  remnant  of  life  among  those  who  knew  him, 
and  loved  him  much.  From  this  period,  disease  made  rapid 
inroads  on  his  constitution,  and  like  a  stern  and  inexorable 
destroyer,  marched  on  to  the  consummation  of  its  purpose. 
Repeated  paroxisms  utterly  prostrated  both  mental  and 
physical  powers,  and  we  saw  with  sorrow  that  strong  body 
and  active  mind  sink  into  utter  imbecility.  Months  before 
he  expired,  he  was  incapable  of  recognizing  his  most  intimate 
friends.  He  died  early  in  March,  1856,  in  the  sixty-eighth 
year  of  his  age,  and  about  the  thirty-sixth  of  his  ministry. 
He  died  without  giving  any  external  evidence  that  he  was 
conscious  of  his  approaching  end.  But  though  gone  from 
earth,  though  the  grave  has  gotten  its  victim,  a  voice  from 
heaven  proclaims,  "  Blessed  are  the  dead  who  die  in  the^ 
Lord ;  they  rest  from  their  labors,  and  their  works  do  follow 
them."  His  remains  were  carried  to  Jackson,  Butts  county, 
and  buried  by  the  side  of  his  wife,  who  had  some  years  pre- 
ceded him  to  the  grave. 


104  NECROLOGY. 


Mr.  Chamberlain's  wife  was  a  Mrs.  Matilda  Peeples,  of 
Green  county,  Georgia.  To  him  were  born  several  children, 
only  two  of  whom  survive  him.  He  was  many  years  some- 
what extensively  engaged  in  planting  in  Jasper  county,  and 
by  economy  and  industry,  accumulated  a  considerable 
property. 

A  brief  estimate  of  his  character  will  close  this  short 
memorial. 

1.  The  first  question  that  occurs  is,  "  Was  he  a  good 
man?  "  This  we  answer  affirmatively.  In  the  language  of 
the  speaker  at  his  funeral,  we  say,  "  The  active  and  perse- 
vering labors  of  a  tolerably  long  ministerial  life  attest  the 
fact.  Possessing  a  worldly  competence,  and  able  to  sustain 
h  mself  independent  of  all  salaries  and  support  from  others, 
yet  he  never  sat  down  in  indolence,  or  ceased  to  toil  for  the 
good  of  others,  and  the  general  welfare  of  the  community. 
Though,  as  we  have  seen,  in  the  last  years  of  his  life,  suffer- 
in<T  from  great  bodily  infirmities,  yet  he  did  not  spare  him- 
self. Though  impressed  with  the  conviction,  for  many  years 
before  his  decease,  that  his  life  would  be  suddenly  terminated, 
yet  he  did  not  relax  his  toils  Avhile  strength  remained.  He 
ever  felt  that  he  must  work  while  the  day  lasted." 

He  had  his  infirmities  and  weaknesses  in  common  with 
other  imperfectly  sanctified  Christians.  But  from  a  somewhat 
intimate  acquaintance  of  thirty-three  years'  standing,  we 
think  we  knew  something  of  his  Christian  feelings  and  the 
soirit  of  the  inner  man.  Though  he  expected  to  be  suddenly 
cut  off  from  his  earthly  attachments,  yet  he  always  spoke 
with  calmness  and  serenity  of  his  approaching  end,  ever 
expressing  a  firm  conviction  of  his  readiness  to  depart  when- 
ever the  Master  called  for  him,  and  that  it  mattered  little 
when  and  where  a  Christian  died,  if  his  lamp  was  trimmed 
and  his  light  burning. 

At  what  time  and  under  what  circumstances  he  became 
hopefully   pious,  we  have  no  means   of  ascertaining.     Our 


REV.  REMEMBRANCE  CHAMBERLAIN.        105 

impression  is,  that  it  was  while  a  member  of  the  College  at 
Middlebury.  Naturally  of  an  ardent  temperament,  he 
rarely  desponded,  even  in  the  darkest  hour,  but  reposed  with 
unwavering  confidence  in  the  promises  of  a  covenant-keeping 
God.  It  would,  indeed,  have  been  a  source  of  much  conso- 
lation to  his  friends,  had  he  been  permitted  a  lucid  interval 
before  his  departure,  that  they  might  have  learned  his  views 
as  he  passed  through  the  dark  valley  to  his  eternal  state. 
But  this  was  denied  them  by  that  mysterious  Providence 
which  impaired  both  mental  and  physical  powers  for  so  long 
a  time.  Bat  we  know  how  he  lived.  As  was  appropriately 
remarked  in  his  funeral  discourse,  "His  was  a  faith  that 
neither  faltered  nor  stumbled.  It  neither  soared  above  the 
sight  of  mortals,  nor  did  it  ever  sink  into  the  slough  of 
Despond.  It  was  equable  and  cheerful,  holding  on  the  even 
tenor  of  its  way." 

2.  Before  disease  had  impaired  his  powers,  he  possessed 
a  peculiarly  cheerful  and  mirthful  temperament.  He  was 
among  the  most  social  and  companionable  men  with  whom 
we  ever  met.  He  abounded  in  wit  and  humor.  His  presence 
in  our  ecclesiastical  meetings  was  ever  hailed  with  pleasure. 
His  generous  disposition  and  business  tact  always  rendered 
him  a  most  acceptable  member  of  our  Church  judicatories. 
Who  that  has  been  in  the  habit  of  attending  our  Presbyteries 
and  Synods,  docs  not  remember  how  often  a  playful  remark, 
or  a  timely  anecdote  uttered  by  him,  when  members  of  these 
bodies  had  become  somewhat  chaffed  and  excited  in  the  ardor 
of  debate,  acted  as  oil  on  the  troubled  waters  ?  Few  men 
possessed  such  a  talent  to  calm  and  soothe,  when  agitation 
and  conflict  threatened. 

3.  He  was  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary  ability.  There 
was  nothing  tame  nor  commonplace  in  his  pulpit  efforts.  His 
conceptions  were  generally  original  and  sprightly.  He  was 
never  obscure.  The  department  of  labor  to  which  most  of 
his  life  was  devoted,  did  not  demand  special  efforts  as  a 


106 


NECROLOGY. 


preacher;  but  bad  his  mind  been  more  concentrated  on  the 
composition  and  delivery  of  sermons,  he  would,  doubtless, 
have  occupied  a  respectable  position  in  this  department  of 
labor.  In  one  respect  he  was  pre-eminently  gifted,  namely: 
in  hortatory  appeals  to  Christian  assemblies.  ^ 

In  the  early  settlement  of  Western  Georgia,  protracted 
and  camp-meetings  were  frequently  held  for  the  benefit  of 
the  sparsely  scattered  population  of  this  district.  Brother 
C.  delighted  to  attend  such  convocations,  and  when  there, 
the  part  of  the  work  usually  assigned  him  was  exhortation ; 
and  to-day,  there  are  thousands  living  in  Georgia  who  will 
readily  attest  the  telling  effect  of  these  efforts  on  the  audi- 
ences addressed. 

He  possessed  a  facility,  more  than  any  man  we  ever  knew, 
of  seizing  upon  incidental  occurrences,  and  bringing  them  to 
bear  at  once  on  the  judgments  and  consciences  of  men.  "Who 
that  was  present  can  ever  forget  the  mad-dog  scene  at  the 
Olney  camp  ground,  in  Jackson  county,  in  August,  1830  ? 
It  was  a  calm  Sabbath  morning ;  all  was  still  and  solemn ; 
the  venerable  Dr.  Waddel  was  preaching.  In  a  moment,  a 
boy  came  running  towards  the  assembly,  shouting  at  the  top 
of  his  voice,  "A  mad-dog!  a  mad-dog!"  The  audience 
(probably  two  thousand  or  more  persons)  rose  as  one  man  in 
the  utmost  panic.  Some  sprang  up  the  trees  near  them. 
Mothers  rushed  towards  the  platform  with  their  children, 
begging  the  ministers  to  save  them  from  the  fury  of  the  rabid 
animal,  supposed  to  be  approaching.  Mr.  C.  calmly  remarked 
to  some  one  near  him,  "  This  is  the  devil's  work,  and  I'll  pay 
him  back."  When  it  was  ascertained  to  be  a  false  alarm, 
and  the  people  again  composed,  and  the  sermon  concluded, 
he  arose,  and  he  did  pay  the  devil  back  in  a  most  solemn 
and  soul-stirring  appeal,  reminding  the  people  that  there  was 
a  more  dangerous  being  on  that  ground  than  a  mad-dog,  and 
yet  they  showed  no  fear  of  him  ;  that  fathers  and  mothers, 
just  now  so  anxicus  for  the  safety  of  their  children,  sat 


REV.  REMEMBRANCE  CHAMBERLAIN.         107 


unconcerned  about  their  eternal  welfare,  when  the  devil,  as  a 
roaring  lion,  was  going  about  that  camp  ground,  seeking  to 
devour  them.  The  effect  of  his  address  was  thrilling  and 
deeply  impressive.  On  another  occasion,  at  Fairview  Ghurch, 
in  Gwinnett  county,  in  1831,  exhorting  very  earnestly  the 
importance  of  seeking  an  immediate  interest  in  Christ,  he 
warned  the  people  thj\,t  death  was  ever  near,  and  that  he 
knew  not  but  that  some  one  might  be  called  that  very  moment 
from  that  large  assembly  to  his  final  account.  As  he  uttered 
these  word-s  a  man,  sitting  in  the  midst  of  the  congregation, 
sprang  to  his  feet  and  instantly  fell,  struggling  in  a  terrible 
convulsion  fit.  He  seized  the  incident  in  a  moment,  and 
exclaimed,  "  I  told  you  so  !  "  Men's  countenances  seemed 
positively  to  gather  blackness ;  they  shuddered  with  dreadful 
apprehension  of  the  wrath  of  God  about  to  fall  upon  them. 
It  sent  a  thrill  of  terror  through  the  whole  audience.  He 
used  such  occurrences  with  tremendous  effect. 

4.  He  was  a  sound  Presbyterian.  Few  men  amongst  us 
was  more  strongly  attached  to  the  doctrines  and  government 
of  our  Church,  or  more  readily  detected  the  slightest  depar- 
ture from  its  constitutional  usages.  This  attachment  origi- 
nated, not  from  the  prejudices  of  early  training,  (for  he  was 
reared  in  the  midst  of  Congregationalism,)  but  from  a  thorough 
conviction  that  her  doctrines  and  polity  were  more  scriptural, 
and  tended  more  to  exalt  the  Saviour  and  humble  the  sinner, 
than  any  other  system.  He  believed  that  the  polity  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  was  derived  from  the  Word  of  God, 
and  in  its  form  and  tendency  was  more  orderly  and  conser- 
vative than  any  other,  and  better  adapted  to,  and  in  harmony 
with,  our  form  of  civil  government.  Yet  he  was  by  no  means 
80  exclusive  in  his  views  that  he  could  not  rejoice  in  the 
success  of  all  other  evangelical  denominations.  He  possessed 
the  charity  which  "rejoiceth  not  in  iniquity,  but  rejoiceth  in 
the  truth." 


108  NECROLOGY. 


From  Levi  Wilkird,  a  Huling  Elder  in  the  Decatur  Church,  dated 

Decatur,  June  27,  1864. 

Brother  Wilson : — You  request  me  to  give  you  my  views  of  the  Rev. 
R.  Chamberlain  as  a  minister,  and  to  spend  an  hour  or  two  in  dotting 
my  recollections  of  him.  I  have  been  rubbing  up  memory,  but  cannot 
bring  to  mind  any  very  striking  illustrations  of  his  ministerial  character. 

All  who  have  ever  seen  him  at  Presbytery  or  Synod,  will  recollect  his 
playful  manner  of  trying  to  carry  his  point.  All  expected  to  hear  some 
sally  of  wit  or  humor  as  he  rose,  with  sober  fkce  and  pouting  lip,  to  rap 
the  knuckles  of  some  preceding  speaker,  dealing  with  opponents,  how- 
ever, quite  humorously.  "\Ve  might  quote  his  language,  but  to  put  his 
manver  on  paper  would  be  impossible. 

He  was  strictly  orthodox,  but  not  much  of  a  controversialist.  He 
would  give  an  exhortation  at  a  Methodist  camp-meeting,  if  requested  to 
do  so.  He  sometimes  preached  on  the  mode  of  baptism.  One  objection 
he  urged  against  immersion,  was  its  inapplicability  to  all  subjects,  all 
eeasons,  all  regions.  "  Why,"  said  he,  "  were  you  to  baptize  subjects  by 
immersion  in  the  winter  of  the  frigid  zones,  they  would  come  out  frozen 
stiff  as  stakes." 

As  a  missionary  or  pioneer,  he  rendered  great  service  to  Presbyterian- 
ism.  An  impression  may  have  obtained  that  he  was  avaricious,  or,  at 
least,  worldly-minded ;  but  when  first  married,  he  thought  himself  justi- 
fiable in  making  exertions  to  clear  the  estate  of  debt  and  consequent 
embarrassment,  for,  said  he,  "  My  wife  had  quite  a  pretty  little  property, 
but  there  was  quite  a  pretty  little  debt  hanging  over  it." 

Late  in  life  he  visited  bis  native  Vermont.  But  he  heard  so  much 
about  the  negro,  and  how  to  dispose  of  him,  that  he  had  but  little  inter- 
course with  the  people,  and  an  opportunity  presenting  itself  he  returned 
to  Georgia  to  die.  He  now  lies  buried  beside  his  wife,  in  a  garden  for- 
merly owned  ^by  himself  in  Jackson,  Butts  county. 

I  would  not  compare  him  to  Eli,  though  he  ma}^  have  been  a  very 
indulgent  father,  neither  restraining  his  sons  within  proper  bounds,  nor 
permitting  others  to  do  so.  His  piety  was  not  of  the  type  of  good  old  Dr. 
John  Brown,  fonnerly  of  Fort  Gaines,  lor  in  the  presence  of  Dr.  B.  you 
felt  that  a  holy  man  was  near. 

As  a  preacher,  I  thought  him  too  fond  of  the  marvelous  ;  especially  in 
his  anecdotes  embodietd  in  his  exhortations.  In  the  latter  part  of  his  life 
he  did  not  like  to  preach — exhortation  being  his  particular  hobby. 

He  was  a  zealous  agent  for  Oglethorpe  University ;  and  was  what  few 
ministers  are,  a  close  collector  for  himself  I  presume  he  thougiit  he  gave 
a  liberal  share  of  his  liberal  salary  to  Oglethorpe. 

In  presenting  ten  dollars  to  the  Vermont  preacher  of  his  native  place, 
he  desired  him  to  know  that  it  was  not  negro  money,  as  it  came  to  him 
some  other  way. 

I  expected  to  fail,  and  I  have  failed,  so  I  quit. 

Very  cordially,  LEVI  WILLARD. 


REV.  ALONZO  CHURCH,  D.D. 


The  subject  of  this  notice  was  born  in  Brattleborough,  in 
the  State  of  Vermont,  9th  of  April,  in  the  year  1793.  His 
father,  Mr.  Reuben  Church,  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolution- 
ary war,  and  near  its  close  held  a  commission  from  the  State 
of  New  York  as  first  Lieutenant  of  Captain  Artemas  How's 
Company  in  the  Regiment  of  Militia  in  Cumberland  county, 
whereof  Timothy  Church,  Esquire,  was  Lieutenant  Colonel, 
commandant.  He  had  previously  been  commissioned,  and 
served  as  ensign  in  another  regiment  from  Vermont.  In 
consequence  of  these  services,  he  was  entitled  to  a  pension 
from  the  Government,  which  he  enjoyed  to  the  end  of  his  life. 

Dr.  Church  was  one  of  seven  grown  children :  Alonzo, 
Elizabeth,  Abigal,  Elvira,  Rebecca,  Jonathan  W.  and  Reuben, 
and  was  the  only  surviving  son  at  his  father's  death,  which 
did  not  occur  unil  1834,  having  exceeded  the  usual  period 
allotted  to  man  on  earth. 

His  father  is  styled  "Gentleman"  in  his  military  com- 
mission, and  so  styled  himself  in  his  last  will  and  testament. 

Dr.  Church  received  his  literary  education  at  Middlebury 
College,  in  the  State  of  Vermont,  where  he  graduated  in  his 
twentieth  year ;  and  being  threatened  with  lung  complaint, 
soon  after  his  graduation  he  sought  a  Southern  climate,  more 
congenial  with  his  weak  lungs,  and  settled  in  Eatonton,  ia 
the  county  of  Putnam,  in  the  State  of  Georgia,  in  1816.  He 
became  the  Rector  of  the  Academy  in  that  town,  where  he 
very  soon  built  up  a  flourishing  institution  of  learning ;  and 
from  which  he  was  transferred  in  a  few  years  to  the  State 
University,  as  Professor  of  Mathematics  and  Astronomy. 
Dr.  Moses  Waddel  was  about  the  same  time  elected  President, 

*MSS.  W.  L.  Mitchell,  Esq. 
109 


110  NECROLOGY. 


•which  position  he  filled  for  ten  years  with  great  benefit  to  the 
public,  and  with  extending  reputation.  During  this  decade 
such  was  the  impression  made  upon  the  Board  of  Trustees  by 
the  young  Professor,  as  well  as  upon  the  classes  that  had 
passed  successively  under  his  training,  and  upon  the  public 
generally,  that  upon  the  retirement  of  Dr.  Waddel  in  1829, 
he  was  unanimously  nominated  to  the  Senatus  Academicus  as 
the  proper  person  to  fill  the  vacancy,  and  unanimously  con- 
firmed by  that  body,  composed  of  the  Trustees  of  the  Uni- 
versity and  the  Senators  of  the  State. 

This  post  Dr.  Church  filled  for  thirty  years  with  great 
fidelity,  and  with  untiring  zeal  in  the  discharge  of  his  arduous 
duties,  having  always  an  unselfish  eye  to  the  interests  of  the 
College,  from  which  he  retired  at  the  close  of  the  year  1859, 
having  preserved  his  connection  with  the  Institution  just 
forty  years.  He  received  his  Doctorate  from  his  Alma  Mater 
in  compliment  to  his  elevation  as  President  of  the  University. 

How  well  he  succeeded  as  President  may  be  inferred  from 
a  few  facts  and  considerations.  And  first  of  all,  it  may  be 
said  of  him,  that  such  was  his  prudence  and  skill  in  the  man- 
agement of  young  men  that  he  never  had  a  rebellion,  and 
there  was  never  an  interregnum  of  any  class  during  his  whole 
term  of  service,  which  is  a  rare  instance  in  the  history  of 
colleges  in  this  country. 

But  in  the  next  place,  we  can  judge  of  his  competency  by 
the  actual  result  of  his  labors.  For  during  his  first  decade, 
from  1829  to  1839,  he  graduated  186;  during  his  second 
decade,  from  1839  to  1849,  he  graduated  223  alumni ;  and 
during  his  third  decade,  from  1849  to  1859,  he  graduated 
240  alumni;  showing  each  decade  was  an  improvement  upon 
its  predecessor.  Dr.  Waddel's  decade  yielded  only  162 
alumni,  and  the  whole  period  from  1801,  when  the  College 
first  went  into  operation,  to  1819,  yielded  only  70  alumni. 
Now  this  success  of  Dr.^Church  is  the  result  of  the  confidence 
which  he  had  even  from  the  public,  and  is  not  to  be  attribu- 


REV.    ALONZO   CHURCH,    D.  D.  HI 

ted  solely  to  the  increase  of  wealth  and  population.  For 
during  this  period,  and  during  the  last  fifteen  years,  there 
were  three  strong  denominational  colleges  struggling  for  stu- 
dents, and  to  his  personal  merits  as  a  manager  of  college  boys 
•we  must  attribute  his  great  success  to  the  last.  For  it  is  to 
be  noticed,  to  his  credit,  that  each  decade  was  an  improvement 
upon  the  succeeding  one. 

But  in  estimating  his  services  as  President,  we  must  not 
limit  them  to  the  graduates,  for  many  other  students  attended 
the  Institution  and  received  their  education  under  him,  who 
falling  short  of  the  degree  of  Batchelor  of  Arts,  nevertheless 
obtained  a  considerable  fund  of  science  and  classical  learning, 
and  exerted  a  good  influence  on  the  public  mind  and  morals. 
These  all  left  feeling  the  influence  of  a  ripe  scholar,  an  earnest 
teacher,  a  well-bred,  courteous  gentleman,  and  a  pious  minis- 
ter of  the  gospel. 

But  there  are  other  results  of  Dr.  Church's  influence  and 
zeal  in  behalf  of  the  University  of  the  State,  which  must  be 
considered  monuments  of  his  fitness  for  his  important  station. 
And  among  them,  in  order  of  time,  is,  first,  the  splendid  dona- 
tion of  the  British  Government  to  the  Library  of  the  Uni- 
versity, of  more  than  ninety  large  volumes,  commencing 
early  in  the  history  of  England,  and  embracing  the  most 
important  annals  of  their  legislation,  their  jurisprudence,  and 
other  very  important  features  of  -their  political  economy. 
They  contain  a  rich  mine  of  authentic  material  for  history 
and  political  science  in  general,  including  Doomsday-Book, 
and  the  Statutes  at  Large.  Now,  this  very  handsome  dona- 
tion was  the  result  of  Dr.  Church's  influence  with  Mr.  0.  Rich, 
an  extensive  bookseller  of  London,  who  had  influence  with 
the  Government,  and  who  designated  the  institution  over 
which  Dr.  Church  presided,  as  one  of  the  twenty  Libraries 
in  America  to  be  selected  for  the  purpose  of  depositing  these 
costly  and  rare  books.  They  are  well  worth  a  visit  to  Athens 
by  any  gentleman  who  wishes  to  look  into  the  very  founda- 


112  NECROLOGY. 


tion  of  the  law,  and  to  study  its  progress  as  developed  by 
English  legislation. 

The  next  item  adduced  is  this : 

That  in  the  year  3  837,  in  his  annual  communication  to  the 
Board,  of  Trustees,  he  urged  upon  that  body  the  importance 
of  taking  steps  to  procure  the  Colonial  History  of  Georgia ; 
and  though  the  Board,  from  their  limited  means,  were  unable 
to  undertake  the  enterprise,  they  recommended  him,  in  his 
annual  communication  to  the  Senatus  Academicus,  to  bring 
the  subject  before  that  body,  and  thus,  through  the  Senatus 
Academicus,  to  get  it  before  the  Legislature.  This  was 
done,  and  the  result  was,  that  Charles  Wallace  Howard,  Esq., 
was  dispatched  to  London  by  Governor  Gilmer,  under  leg- 
islative action,  to  procure  copies  of  such  documents  as  would 
elucidate  the  Colonial  History  of  Georgia.  Mr.  Howard,  in 
due  time,  deposited  at  the  State  Capital  some  twenty  volumes 
of  copies  of  Colonial  records,  the  value  and  nature  of  which 
have  never  been  published  to  the  people,  but  which  may  be 
of  service  in  the  hands  of  a  competent  historian  who  is  yet  to 
arise  in  our  State.  At  any  rate.  Dr.  Church  first  pointed 
out  the  field  of  research,  and  by  his  wise  and  earnest  sugges- 
tions, prevailed  so  far  as  to  secure  legislative  action.  If  the 
results  have  not  yet  been  fully  realized,  they  may  be  at  some 
future  day. 

The  following  facts  and  extracts  from  the  Minutes  of  the 
Board  of  Trustees,  may  serve  to  show  in  what  estimation  he 
was  held  by  that  distinguished  body  of  men. 

In  1842,  upon  a  re-organization  of  the  College  Faculty, 
rendered  necessary  in  consequence  of  the  withdrawal  of  the 
appropriation  of  six  thousand  dollars  by  the  Legislature, 
Dr.  Church  was  re-elected  President  without  a  dissenting 
vote.  In  the  following  year,  (1843,)  at  the  Annual  Com- 
mencement, James  Camak  introduced  the  following  preamble 
and  resolution,  which  was  agreed  to  nem.  con. : 

"  The  faithful  discharge  of  his  dutiei  by  the  President, 


REV.   ALONZO   CHURCH,   D.  D.  113 

• 

Dr.  Church,  for  a  long  series  of  years,  having  impaired  his 
health : 

'■''Resolved,  unanimously,  That  he  have  leave  of  absence 
from  the  duties  of  his  station  until  the  commencement  of  the 
exercises  in  January  next,  for  the  purpose  of  endeavoring  to 
restore  his  health." 

Under  this  action  of  the  Board,  Dr.  Church  made  a  visit 
to  the  North,  taking  his  wife  with  him,  and  returned  much 
benefitted  as  to  health. 

Again,  in  1848,  at  the  annual  commencement,  on  motion 

kOf  Bishop  Elliott,  it  was  "i^gso/uecZ,  That  the  President  of 

the  College,  in  consideration  of  the  feeble  state  of  his  health, 

be  permitted   to    take  relaxation   from   his  labors  for  the 

remainder  of  the  present  term. 

"  That,  as  a  slight  token  of  the  value  which  the  Board 
places  upon  the  long  devoted  and  meritorious  services  of  the 
President,  the  sum  of  five  hundred  dollars  be  appropriated 
for  the  use  of  the  President  during  his  absence." 

Under  this  action,  he  visited  Florida,  and  returned  con- 
siderably improved  in  health. 

On  motion  of  Mr.  Mitchell,  in  1850,  ''Resolved,  That  the 
President  of  the  College  be  requested  to  depart  from  his 
usual  custom  of  procuring  some  distinguished  minister  of  the 
gospel  to  preach  the  commencement  sermon,  so  far  as  to 
deliver  that  sermon  himself  at  the  annual  commencement, 
(1851,)  in  view  of  the  semi-centenary  determined  on  by  the 
Alumni  Society."  This  duty  Dr.  Church  performed  to  the 
great  gratification  of  the  largest  number  of  alumni  and 
friends  of  the  College  ever  assembled  in  Athens.  Over 
three  hundred  alumni  and  others  sat  down  to  the  public 
dinner  served  up  at  the  Town  Hall. 

The  following  extracts  will  show  his  wisdom  in  College 
affairs : 

In  one  of  his  annual  messages,  he  says,  "I  consider  much 
legislation  as  to  the  rules  of  conduct  in  College,  injurious. 
8 


114  NECROLOGY. 


Young  professors  are  very  apt  to  discover  defects  in  laws 
and  rules  of  conduct,  and  in  their  zeal  and  wisdom,  too  often 
legislate  to  the  injury,  rather  than  the  advantage  of  the 
institution.  I  believe  a  few  general  rules  are  better  than  a 
large  number  of  specific  enactments.  Students  should  be 
required  to  conduct  themselves  in  an  orderly  and  gentlemanly 
manner,  and  attend  to  their  collegiate  duties  industriously 
during  assigned  hours,  and  the  Faculty  should  be  the  judges 
of  what  is  proper  conduct  and  reasonable  study." 

In  the  same  message  we  find  the  following  sound  views : 
"  The  Board  will  pardon  me  for  saying,  that  mere  science 
will  not  qualify  a  man  for  a  professorship.  He  may  be 
eminent  for  his  attainments,  and  felicitous  in  his  ability  to 
teach,  and  yet  be  a  curse  to  the  institution.  There  must  be 
moral  and  social  qualifications,  as  well  as  literary  and  scien- 
tific. No  man  who  has  not  been  long  and  intimately  con- 
nected with  an  institution  of  this  kind  as  an  instructor,  can 
estimate  the  iaflueace  for  good  or  for  ill  which  a  professor 
exerts,  apart  from  his  daily  instructions  in  science.  His 
temper  and  disposition  will  win  or  disgust  the  student — will 
promote  peace  and  harmony,  or  jarring  and  discord  in  the 
Faculty.  To  be  a  successful  teacher,  a  man  must  be  well 
acquainted  with  human  nature — must  be  able  to  meet  the 
foibles  and  weaknesses  and  errors  of  youth  with  patient 
kindness,  yet  with  wise  and  firm  decision.  Every  professor 
ought  to  consider  the  advancement  of  the  interests  of  the 
College  his  first  and  highest  duty.  Unless  willing  to  devote 
his  time  and  labor,  and  ease,  if  necessary,  to  promote  its 
highest  prosperity,  he  cannot  successfully  accomplish  the 
purpose  for  which  he  has  been  placed  in  office.  But  above 
all,  I  am  constrained  to  say,  that  an  indispensable  qualifica- 
tion to  make  the  perfect  teacher,  is  piety.  I  do  not  mean 
that  he  should  be  a  mere  professor  of  religion — a  member  of 
some  Christian  church.  A  man  may,  and  not  unfrequently 
does,  make  the  worst  professor  for  being   a  member  of  a 


REV.    ALONZO    CHURCH,    D.  D.  116 


church.  The  man  whose  life  is  inconsistent  with  his  Chris- 
tian profession,  leads  students  to  despise  him,  and  to  regard 
true  religion  with  indifference,  and  often  to  treat  it  with 
disrespect." 

Such  was  the  noble  testimony  he  delivered  to  the  distin- 
guished gentlemen  of  the  Board,  in  behalf  of  the  religion  he 
preached.  He  was  himself  a  fine  sample  of  the  very  doctrine 
he  taught,  for  no  man  was  ever  more  unselfishly  devoted  to 
the  interests  of  any  literary  institution  than  Dr.  Church  was 
to  Franklin  College. 

His  economy  in  the  expenditure  of  small  items,  and  in 
saving  where  others  would  have  been  careless  or  indifferent, 
was  highly  commendable.  As  an  illustration  of  this,  it  may 
be  stated,  that  from  eighty  to  one  hundred  dollars  were  annu- 
ally expended  in  white-washing,  mending  plastering,  repairing 
fire-places  and  hearths,  setting  glass,  &c.,  &c.,  which  he 
reduced  to  ten  or  twelve  dollars  per  annum,  by  the  agency  of 
the  College  servants,  under  his  personal  direction.  In  this 
way  during  his  administration  he  saved  the  College  hundreds 
of  dollars. 

As  Dr.  Church  advanced  in  age,  like  all  men  of  decided 
character  and  fixed  principles,  he  met  with  opposition,  and 
had  many  severe  conflicts,  but  was  always  sustained  by  the 
Board. 

In  illustration  of  this,  reference  may  be  made  to  his  troubles 
in  1856,  without  going  into  any  unnecessary  detail,  and 
without '  any  desire  to  call  up  unpleasant  reminicenses.  In 
that  year  the  difficulties  in  the  Faculty  became  so  serious,  and 
the  effects  upon  the  students  so  disastrous,  that  the  Board  of 
Trustees  were  constrained  to  adopt  the  following  resolutions  : 

^^Resolved^  That  if  evidences  of  insubordination  on  the 
part  of  students  of  the  College,  such  as  have  for  some  time 
past  been  exhibited,  shall  continue,  and  the  Faculty  fail  to 
enforce  rigidly  the  laws  of  the  University,  regulating  the 
conduct  of  students,   the  Prudential  Committee  are  hereby 


116  NECROLOGY. 


instructed  to  call  a  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  to  take 
the  subject  into  consideration,  and  apply  the  remedy  as  the 
exigency  may  require." 

^^Besolved,  That  the  Trustees  view  with  deep  mortification 
and  uneasiness  the  discord  and  dissentions  that  have  for  some 
time  past  existed  among  the  members  of  the  Faculty  ;  that 
as  a  continuance  of  such  a  feeling  will  be  fatal  to  the  best 
interests  of  the  College,  it  becomes  their  imperative  duty  to 
arrest  it ;  that  unwilling  to  resort  to  extreme  measures,  while 
there  is  a  hope  that  milder  measures  may  be  efficacious,  and 
entertaining  a  sincere  respect  for  the  character  and  intelli- 
gence of  the  Faculty,  the  Trustees  earnestly  appeal  to  them 
to  bury  in  oblivion  past  differences,  and  to  cordially  unite  in 
earnest  co-operation  for  the  promotion  of  the  high  interests 
entrusted  to  their  guardianship." 

At  this  meeting  of  the  Board,  Dr.  Church  in  order  to  da 
all  in  his  power  to  relieve  the  Board  from  any  embarrass- 
ment, sent  in  his  written  notice  of  intention  to  resign  the 
office  of  President  at  the  close  of  the  civil  year.  Whereupon, 
Gov.  Gilmer  moved  the  following  resolution : 

'''■Resolved,  That  a  committee  of  three  be  appointed  ta 
wait  upon  Dr.  Church  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  whether 
he  can  be  induced  to  withdraw  the  same." 

The  committee  consisted  of  Messrs.  Gilmer,  Hillyer  and 
J.  H.  Cooper. 

On  motion  of  Dr.  Reese, 

^'Resolved,  That  the  committee  above  named  be  instructed 
to  express  to  Dr.  Church  the  unanimous  regret  of  the  Board 
at  the  step  he  has  taken." 

Notwithstanding  these  decided  manifestations  of  confidence 
on  the  part  of  the  Board,  Dr.  Church  declined  to  withdraw 
his  notice  of  resignation.  In  fact,  he  had  long  sighed  for  the 
repose  and  quiet  of  retired  life,  and  moreover  had  a  strong 
desire  to  spend  a  few  years  before  his  death  wholly  in  preach- 
ing the  gospel  to  the  poor,  in  imitation  to  his  Divine  Master. 


REV.    ALONZO    CHURCH,    D.  D.  117 

This  was  with  him  a  very  strong  feeling,  for  his  feeble  state 
of  health  for  many  years  had  rendered  him  unable  to  per- 
form the  duties  of  his  office  and  at  the  same  time  to  do  much 
in  preaching.  But  he  must  speak  for  himself.  In  his  annual 
communication  to  the  Trustees,  at  the  same  session,  he  says : 

"If  the  State  College  ever  rise  to  that  dignity  which  it 
ought  to  attain,  it  must,  I  repeat  it,  have  young  men  to  edu- 
cate ;  and  if  it  is  to  contend  merely  for  numbers,  with  so 
many  sectarian  and  private  institutions  as  exist  in  the  State, 
it  must  ultimately  raise  its  standard  much  higher  than  these 
institutions,  or  the  contest  will  be  too  unequal  for  a  hope  of 
success,  even  in  this  respect,  or  with  respect  to  the  grand 
object  for  which  it  was  established.  If  it  desire  the  patron- 
age of  numbers,  that  patronage  must  be  secured  by  the 
attainments  of  its  alumni.  If  it  ultimately  acquire  the  pat- 
ronage of  the  Legislature,  it  must  be  secured  in  the  same 
manner.  It  may  require  time  and  patience  to  secure  these 
objects — it  will  require  wisdom  and  caution  in  bringing  about 
a  change  in  public  opinion  without  temporarily  paralysing 
the  College — but  they  may,  t«nd  I  doubt  not  will  be  secured, 
if  the  friends  of  education  faint  not,  and  if  the  Faculty  of 
your  College  will  act  with  cautious  prudence,  which  they  will 
much  need. 

These  objects,  however,  cannot  be  secured  without  officers 
well  qualified  to  instruct,  and  at  the  same  time  capable  and 
willing  to  control.  In  such  an  institution,  a  uniform,  ener- 
getic, and  wise  system  of  discipline,  is  indispensable  to 
success.  Even  young  raen,  to  say  nothing  of  mere  youtlis, 
assembled  in  considerable  numbers,  apart  from  friends,  and 
in  a  great  measure  excluded  from  society,  must  have  the 
careful  and  judicious  and  constant  supervision  and  restraints 
of  their  instructors,  or  idleness  and  dissipation  will  ensue. 
And  officers  capable  of  controlling  young  men  under  such 
circumstances  must  be  well  acquainted  with  human  nature. 
They  must  be  kind  and  affable,  yet  firm  and  fearless,  and 


118  NECROLOGY. 


faithful  in  the  discharge  of  police  duties,  in  enforcing  moral 
and  religious  and  industrial  discipline.  Without  qualifications 
to  discharge  these  duties  relating  to  the  good  government  of 
a  college,  mere  literary  and  scientific  attainments  will  be 
comparatively  valueless.  Nor  can  the  discipline  of  a  college 
be  sustained  by  a  part  of  its  officers.  To  efiect  this  the 
Faculty  must  be  a  unit  as  to  all  important  measures,  and 
especially  a  unit  before  the  public  and  in  the  apprehension  of 
the  students.  Aptness  and  ability  to  teach  are  important, 
essential  to  the  professor,  but  they  are  not  half  the  essential 
qualifications  for.  eminent  success.  Without  the  confidence 
and  respect  of  his  pupils,  his  efforts  will  never  avail.  If  he 
cannot  inspire  them  with  a  love  for  knowledge,  and  stimulate 
them  to  make  proper  exertions  to  acquire  it,  his  success  will 
be  small  indeed.  You  cannot  force  young  men  to  listen  with 
profit  to  the  teachings,  or  submit  with  patience  to  the  control 
of  those  whom  they  do  not  respect.  Temporary  prejudices 
may  be  overcome,  and  occasional  dislikes  will  arise  without 
reasonable  causes,  and  be  removed  when  the  occasions  which 
produce  them  have  passed  ;  but  long  and  settled  dislike  will 
be  transmitted,  and  increase  and  spread  disorder  and  insub- 
ordination in  spite  of  all  the  efforts  of  those  who  may  be 
respected,  and  even  be  loved.  The  successful  teacher  must 
be  more  than  a  mere  hireling.  While  the  teacher  is  employed 
jn  one  of  the  most  useful  professions,  and  his  talents  should 
be  rewarded  equally  with  those  of  other  professions  possessing 
similar  attainments  and  performing  equal  labor,  it  will  be 
found  invariably  true  that  the  man  who  teaches  merely  for 
his  salary,  and  whose  sei'vice?  are  ever  seeking  a  better  mar- 
ket, will  never  raise  high  the  reputation  or  largely  increase 
the  usefulness  of  an  institution  of  learning.  And  here,  I 
would  observe,  that  our  system  of  tutorships  is  obnoxious  to 
serious  objections.  We  have  two  of  these  officers  who  are 
had  temporarily  here,  so  far  as  their  own  interest  is  concern- 
ed,   simply   for   the   salary.     They  are    almost  necessarily 


REV.    ALONZO    CHURCH,    D.    D.  119 


young  men.  They  have  no  wish  or  expectation  of  long  re- 
maining connected  with  the  College.  They  have  little  or  no 
experience  either  in  teaching  or  governing  young  men,  and 
their  services  as  teachers,  unless  we  have  a  larger  number  of 
students  than  have  ever  been  in  attendance  at  one  time,  ought 
not  to  be  greatly  needed.  With  a  Professor  in  the  house 
occupied  by  Dr.  LeConte,  no  serious  disturbance  or  riotous 
conduct  could  exist  without  his  knowledge  ;  and  with  Profes- 
sors occupying  the  south  side  of  the  College  buildings,  the 
same  would  be  true.  That  the  discipline  of  the  College  for 
five  or  six  years  has  not  been  eflfioient  is  too  true.  That  there 
have  been  causes  in  operation  which  have  been  constantly 
aggravating  the  evil,  I  have  heretofore  intimated  to  the  Board, 
and  for  these  intimations  have  received  no  small  measure  of 
abuse  from  some  with  whom  I  have  been  associated.  1  think 
the  subject  requires  the  immediate  attention  of  the  Board, 
and  the  application  of  such  remedies,  if  such  can  be  devised, 
as  will  arrest  the  evil.  It  is  doubtless  the  opinion  of  some 
that  the  College  has  suffered  during  the  last  two  years  in 
consequence  of  the  resignation  of  two  Professors,  and  the 
subsequent  newspaper  controversies  growing  out  of  these 
resignations.  With  these  subjects  the  Board,  I  apprehend, 
and  especially  the  Prudential  Committee,  are  well  acquainted. 
With  the  latter  I  have  had  nothing  to  do,  except  to  read  the 
various  essays  unsparingly  abusive  of  myself,  and  grossly 
false  respecting  the  College.  And  so  far  as  I  have  been 
personally  concerned  with  the  former,  I  have  acted,  as  I  then 
thought  and  still  think,  primarily  and  principally  in  defense 
of  the  College ;  and  I  cannot  doubt  that  the  consequences 
would  have  been  much  worse  had  not  the  course  pursued,  or 
some  similar  one,  been  adopted.  In  this  matter,  as  in  every 
other  since  my  connection  with  the  Institution,  I  am  conscious 
of  having  had  for  my  first  object  and  highest  efforts  the  pros- 
perity of  Franklin  College.  The  efforts  have  been  feeble,  but 
they  have  been  honest,  and  if  my  enemies,  in  endeavoring  to  rob 


120  NECROLOGY. 


me  of  a  reputation  for  honesty  and  zeal,  have  felt  themselves 
at  liberty  to  endeavor  to  injure  the  Institution,  Intrust  I  shall 
not  be  considered  as  having  transcended  the  limits  of  official 
propriety  in  attempting  to  defend  myself,  so  far  at  least  as 
my  own  defence  involved  the  defence  of  the  College.  Farther 
than  this  I  believe  I  have  not  gone,  and  I  leave  the  subject 
to  the  judgment  of  those  to  ■whom  I  have  been  responsible." 

The  vindication  of  Dr.  Church  by  the  Board  has  already 
been  recorded,  and  his  vindication  before  the  Senatus  Aca- 
demicus  and  the  country  was  equally  flattering.  He  was 
triumphantly  re-elected  President,  and  induced  to  remain  at 
his  post  for  a  few  years  longer,  which  he  consented  to  do, 
notwithstanding  his  feeble  health  and  increasing  age. 

As  evidence  of  the  soundness  of  his  judgment  and  the  wis- 
dom of  his  counsels,  which  were  adopted  by  the  Board,  and 
carried  out  as  far  as  they  could  do  so  by  their  legislation  and 
their  choice  of  proper  professors,  as  early  after  these  troubles 
as  1858,  the  Committee  on  Laws  and  Discipline  say  in  their 
report,  which  was  adopted,  that 

"  Such  is  the  healthful  condition  of  the  College  that  no 
action  is  needed  on  the  part  of  the  Board  so  far  as  the  exe- 
cution of  laws  and  enforcement  of  discipline  are  concerned. 
Harmony  prevails  among  the  Faculty,  a  cheerful  obedience 
to  all  obligations  characterizes  the  conduct  of  the  students. 
Indeed,  we  have  no  hesitation  in  saying,  that  a  more  consci- 
entious, indefatigable  and  efficient  corps  of  teachers,  or  a 
better  set  of  young  men,  are  not  to  be  found  in  any  similar 
Institution  in  the  country.  The  consequence  is  a  marked 
advancement  in  the  standard  of  scholarship  throughout  all 
the  classes.  As  an  illustration  of  this  fact,  we  will  mention 
that  had  the  number  of  speakers  in  the  Junior  Class  been 
limited  as  usual  to  ten,  an  average  of  95  in  his  studies,  100 
being  the  highest  grade,  would  not  have  entitled  a  member 
to  a  speaker's  place." 

So  impressed  was  the  Board  with  the  great  improvement 


REV.   ALONZO   CHURCH,    D.  D.  121 

above  described,  that  it  ordered  the  same  to  be  published  for 
general  information,  and  the  gratification  of  the  friends  of 
the  College. 

Notwithstanding  this  success,  Dr.  Church  says  in  his  com- 
munication to  the  Board,  at  Milledgeville,  in  November  of 
this  year,  "  I  now  inform  the  Board,  as  I  shall  to-morrow 
the  Senatus  Academicus,  that  I  shall  retire  from  my  connec- 
tion with  the  College  at  the  end  of  the  ensuing  year." 

And  so  with  the  year  1859,  his  life-long  labors  as  a  teacher  of 
youth  ended.  The  Board  of  Trustees  at  their  first  meeting 
thereafter,  in  July,  1860,  ordered  the  following  testimonial 
to  be  entered  on  their  minutes  :  "  Dr.  Church,  whose  long 
and  faithful  services  entitle  him  to  the  lasting  gratitude  of 
the  State,  having  resigned  the  Presidency  of  the  University 
of  Georgia,  and  this  being  the  first  meeting  since  his  connec- 
tion with  the  College  has  ceased,  the  Board  of  Trustees  take 
great  pleasure  in  testifying  to  his  fidelity  and  zgal  in  behalf 
of  the  cause  of  learning  ;  and  in  further  testimony  of  their 
appreciation  of  his  character,  do  respectfully  invite  him  to 
take  a  seat  on  the  stage  in  the  College  Chapel  during  the 
public  exercises  of  this  and  each  ensuing  Commencement 
during  his  life." 

In  the  year  1859,  he  made  preparation  to  move  from  the 
dwelling  appropriated  to  the  head  of  the  College,  to  a  small 
farm  adjoining  the  town  of  Athens,  on  which  he  settled  at  the 
close  of  the  year,  or  early  in  1860,  and  where  he  spent  the 
last  two  and  a  half  years  of  his  life,  his  death  occurring  on 
the  18th  day  of  May,  1862,  being  the  Lord's  day. 

The  Rev.  Andrew  A.  Lipscomb,  D.D.,  the  Chancellor  of 
the  University,  and  the  successor  of  President  Church,  an- 
nounced his  death  to  the  Board  at  the  annual  meeting  in  July, 
1862,  as  follows  :  "  Since  y^ur  last  meeting  it  has  pleased 
the  Providence  of  Almighty  God  to  remove  from  our  midst 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Church,  formerly  President  of  the  University. 
A  large  part  of  his  life  was  spent  in  your  service,  and  the 


122  NECROLOGY. 


lofty  integrity  of  that  life,  its  constant  earnestness  and  inflex- 
ible devotion,  are  imperishable  portions  of  the  Institution 
committed  to  your  care."  During  that  session  the  Board 
past  the  following  resolutions  : 

"In  view  of  a  recent  dispensation  of  Providence, 

Resolved,  That  we  sympathize  with  the  people  of  our  State, 
and  especially  with  his  bereaved  family,  in  the  demise  of  Dr. 
Alonzo  Church,  late  President  of  the  University,  and  faith- 
fully devoted,  during  many  years,  to  its  prosperity  and  use- 
fulness. 

Resolved  further,  That  the  best  portrait  that  can  be 
obtained  of  Dr.  Church  be  procured  by  the  Prudential  Com- 
mittee, and  suspended  in  the  Library  Room." 

This  duty  has  been  attended  to,  and  the  portrait  can  now 
be  seen  in  the  elegant  Library  Room,  so  beautifully  fitted  up 
by  Chancellor  Lipscomb,  The  portrait  is  the  work  of  a 
highly  accomplished  artist,  Mr.  Charles  F.  Weigandt,  who, 
for  his  taste  and  genius  in  art,  has  been  created  Professor  of 
Art  in  the  University  by  the  Chancellor.  This  portrait  of 
Dr.  Church  will  be  gazed  at  with  melancholy  pleasure  by 
many  a  student  of  old  Franklin. 

Some  incidents  are  now  added  to  illustrate  the  character  of 
Dr.  Church'  still  further. 

When  the  four-story  College,  occupied  as  a  dormitory,  was 
consumed  by  fire  in  1830,  soon  after  Dr.  Church's  accession 
to  the  Presidency,  destroying  the  Library  and  most  of  the 
furniture  of  the  students  occupying  the  building.  Dr.  Church 
assembled  the  Faculty  between  midnight  and  day,  and  took 
steps  to  have  every  parent  and  guardian  having  sons  and 
wards  at  the  Institution  properly  advised  of  their  personal 
safety,  so  that  the  news  of  the  fire  could  not  be  received 
befoi-e  the  news  of  their  safety.  He  at  once  dismissed  the 
College  and  repaired  to  Milledgeville  to  canvass  the  Legisla- 
ture then  soon  to  assemble ;  and,  in  conjunction  with  the 
friends  of  the  Institution  from  all  parts  of  the  State,  succeeded 


REV.    ALONZO  CHURCH,    D.  D.  123 

in  placing  the  College  on  a  better  footing.  The  Legislature 
voted  funds  to  purchase  a  Library,  to  rebuild  the  burnt  edi- 
fice, and  to  found  additional  professorships.  * 

He  sele<;ted  the  books  in  person,  and  laid  the  foundation 
of  that  admirable  Library  which  now  enriches  the  alcoves  of 
the  beautiful  room  to  which  allusion  has.been  made.  He  also 
year  after  year,  urged  upon  the  Board  the  importance  of 
building  houses  for  the  Professors,  so  as  to  be  within  conven- 
ient distance  for  police  purposes  ;  and,  finally,  as  soon  as  the 
funds  would  warrant  it,  prevailed  upon  the  Board  to  under- 
take the  enterprise  which  eventuated  in  the  erection  of  five 
comfortable  mansions  for  the  President  and  four  of  the  Pro- 
fessors. It  was  also  in  pursuance  of  his  urgent  and  repeated 
importunity  that  a  boarding  house  was  erected,  as  well  as  the 
new  Library  building. 

Besides  these  important  achievements,  it  must  not  be  for- 
gotten that  he  was  a  most  laborious  teacher,  not  only  attend- 
ing to  his  own  peculiar  studies,  but  in  the  course  of  his  long 
services,  supplying  the  places  of  every  Professor — when 
vacancies  happened,  and  temporary  absences  occurred  from 
sickness  or  otherwise — so  as  to  keep  the  classes  from  loss  by 
such  events,  except  in  the  chairs  of  Experimental  Philosophy 
and  the  Natural  Sciences.  He  was  a  good  classical  scholar, 
mathematician  and  astronomer.  Political  Economy,  Law  of 
Nations,  Moral  and  Mental  Philosophy  and  Logic  wei'e  his 
p<^culiar  branches,  and  he  sometimes  taught  Belles  Lettres, 
Criticism,  and  kindred  branches.  He  often  acted  as  Libra- 
rian, a  most  laborious  post,  and  besides  these  labors  acted  also 
as  inspector  of  buildings  and  superintended  the  repairs. 

Amid  all  these  labors,  enough  for  three  men,  his  health  was 
often  so  poor  as  to  render  him  unfit  for  the  lightest  of  them, 
and  yet  he  persevered  and  struggled  on  to  old  age  with  a  zeal 
and  fidelity  which  richly  deserved  the  success  which  crowned 
his  efforts. 

It  will  be  seen  at  once  that  but  little  time  was  left  Dr. 


124  NECROLOGY. 


Church  for  the  exercise  of  his  sacred  functions  outside  the 
College  campus.  Yet  he  loved  the  work  of  the  ministry. 
He  preached  at  a  number  of  small  and  humble  Churches  with 
great  acceptance.  Among  these  may  be  mentioned  Ebenezer, 
in  the  county  of  Clarke,  of  which  old  uncle  Ben.  McRea  was 
the  Ruling  Elder,  and  which  was  dissolved  by  Hopewell  Pres- 
bytery after  the  old  gentleman's  death  ;  also,  at  Sandy  Creek 
in  the  county  of  Morgan,  and  Sandy  Creek  in  the  county  of 
Jackson,  Danielsville  in  the  county  of  Madison,  and  Union 
Church,  a  colored  congregation,  four  miles  above  Athens, 
which  was  dedicated  by  him.  The  worshippers  in  all  these 
humble  congregations  ever  manifested  a  warm  attachment  to 
the  Doctor.  He  often  officiated  for  Dr.  Hoyt,  the  venerated 
pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  Athens,  and  especially 
aided  him  on  Communion  seasons  and  at  Prayer  meetings, 
when  his  efforts  were  very  happy  and  edifying. 

In  the  great  controversy  of  1837  and  '38,  between  the  Old 
and  New  School  Presbyterians,  he  was  a  firm  advocate  of  the 
Old  School  party,  and  probably  did  as  much  or  more  than 
any  other  minister  in  his  Presbytery  to  prevent  distraction. 
He  visited  many  of  the  destitute  Churches,  and  influenced 
them  to  send  their  Elders  to  Presbytery,  so  as  to  control  the 
vote  for  the  Old  School  side  upon  the  great  questions  in  con- 
troversy. And  it  was  confessedly  the  vote  of  the  Ruling 
Elders  of  Hopewell  Presbytery  that  saved  it  from  much  dis- 
traction, and  this  vote  was  the  direct  result  of  Dr.  Church's 
labors  and  influence  with  the  weak  Churches  which  he  had 
served  more  or  less  for  years  ;  for  he  served  not  only  those 
above  named  but  others  of  like  character,  and  they  all  voted 
with  him.  The  vote  of  the  Ruling  Elders  in  Hopewell 
Presbytery  during  those  exciting  times  was  nearly  or  quite  a 
unit,  and  all  for  the  Old  School  side. 

In  1831,  while  the  workmen  were  engaged  in  undermining 
one  of  the  walls  of  the  burnt  College,  which  it  will  be  remem- 
bered was  four-stories  high,  a  young  man  was  lying  on  the 


REV.   ALONZO   CHtJRCH,    D.  D.  125 

grass,  at  a  safe  distance  from  the  wall  as  he  snpposed,. watch- 
ing the  progress  of  the  work,  when  it  suddenly  fell  and 
crushed  him  to  death.  The  shock  upon  the  Faculty  and 
students  can  be  better  imagined  than  described.  The  realities 
of  eternity  seemed  to  be  impressed  upon  every  heart,  and  the 
necessity  of  immediate  preparation  for  death  was  felt  by  all ; 
and  that  evening  at  Chapel  prayers.  President  Church,  with 
deep  solemnity  and  unearthly  look,  which  all  present  must 
remember,  opened  the  Holy  Bible,  and,  with  a  voice  as  from* 
the  grave,  read  :  "  There  were  present  at  that  season  some 
that  told  him  of  the  Gallileans  whose  blood  mingled  with  their 
sacrifices.  And  Jesus  answering,  said  unto  them,  suppose 
ye  that  these  Gallileans  were  sinners  above  all  the  Gallileans, 
because  they  suffered  such  things  ?  I  tell  you,  nay,  but 
except  ye  repent,  ye  shall  all  likewise  perish.  Or  those 
eighteen  upon  whom  the  tower  in  Siloam  fell,  and  slew  them  ; 
think  ye  that  they  were  sinners  above  all  laen  that  dwelt  in 
Jerusalem  ?  I  tell  you,  nay,  but  except  ye  repent  ye  shall 
all  likewise  perish."  And  he  closed  the  book,  and  in  a  few 
awfully  solemn  words  applied  the  subject,  and  poured  out  his 
soul  in  prayer  to  God  for  the  conversion  of  the  students ;  and 
then  began  a  revival  in  the  College  which  resulted  in  the 
conversion  of  a  large  number  of  the  students  and  many  per- 
sons in  the  town.  And  yet  in  this  and  other  revivals  with 
which  the  College  was  blessed  during  his  long  connection 
with  it,  he  was  never  known  in  any  instance  to  try  in  any 
degree  to  influence  any  student  to  become  a  member  of  his 
own  denomination.  If  the  student  only  embraced  the  Saviour 
the  President  was  satisfied,  and  left  him  to  his  own  Church 
preferences. 

When  he  dedicated  Union  Church,  before  alluded  to,  there 
was  a  very  large  attendance  of  negroes  of  the  Baptist  and 
Methodist  persuasions,  and  among  them  several  colored 
preachers.  The  communion  was  administered  by  him,  and  it 
was  a  remarkable  fact,  worthy  of  record,  that  these  humble 


126  NECROLOGY. 


servants,  with  a  single  exception,  and  that  not  of  the  preach- 
ers, all  sat  down  to  our  Lord's  table,  and  partook  of  the 
elements,  distributed  by  General  Thomas  R.  R.  Cobb  and 
another  Elder,  with  great  propriety  and  real  Christian  fellow- 
ship.    It  was,  indeed,  a  communion  of  saints. 

In  1860,  Dr.  Church  was  sent  as  a  Commissioner  from 
Hopewell  Presbytery  to  the  General  Assembly  which  met 
that  year  in  Rochester,  New  York.  There  had  existed  for 
some  time  a  colony  of  French  Catholics  at  St.  Ann,  in  the 
State  of  Illinois,  under  the  guidance  and  religious  training 
of  Father  Chiniquy,  a  Catholic  Priest.  Appeals  had  been 
made  from  time  to  time  in  behalf  of  this  colony,  represented 
to  be  in  a  starving  condition,  and  a  committee  had  been 
organized  in  New  York  to  receive  and  manage  the  contribu- 
tions of  the  benevolent.  The  colony  was  visited  by  ministers 
of  different  denominations,  and  described  to  be  a  pious  and 
Christian  people,  and  Father  Chiniquy  was  pronounced  a 
true  minister  of  Christ,  in  the  Protestant  sense  of  that  term. 
Soon  the  question  began  to  excite  some  quiet  interest  as  to 
what  Protestant  denomination  the  poor  people  would  attach 
themselves,  as  it  was  evident  they  could  not  remain  in  the 
Romish  Church.  It  was  even  said  that  efforts  were  made  to 
proselyte  them  by  one  denomination  at  the  North ;  but  whether 
so  or  not,  it  was  known  that  the  Presbyterian  Church  did  in 
no  way  attempt  to  influence  their  decision.  And  yet  in  due 
time,  and  prior  to  the  meeting  of  the  General  Assembly  at 
Rochester,  in  May,  1860,  Father  Chiniquy  and  his  people 
deliberately,  and  of  their  own  accord,  and  after  scriptural 
examination  of  the  creed  of  different  Churches,  declared  in 
favor  of  the  Old  School  Presbyterians,  and  attached  them- 
selves to  our  Church.  Their  necessities  were  still  as  great  as 
ever.  But  as  soon  as  this  step  was  taken,  the  supplies  which 
had  been  liberally  contributed,  especially  by  the  Episcopalians 
of  the  North,  were  withheld,  and  the  poor  colonists  turned 
over  to  our  people,  principally,  for  the  means  of  keeping  from 


REV.    ALONZO    CHURCH,    D.  D.     '  lg7 

starvation.  It  Tvas  in  this  juncture  of  affairs  that  the  Eoches- 
ter  Assembly  met,  and  among  the  urgent  calls  upon  that 
Assembly  was  the  one  from  St.  Ann.  After  a  careful  exami- 
nation into  their  case,  and  being  satisfied  of  their  sincere 
devotion  to  Christ  and  his  Kingdom,  the  Assembly  resolved 
to  aid  them.  As  no  time  was  to  be  lost,  each  minister  was 
called  upon  to  say  how  much  he  would  pledge  himself  to  raise, 
upon  his  return  home,  and  transmit  it  with  as  little  delay  as 
possible  for  the  relief  of  these  suffering  people.  Dr.  Church 
pledged  himself  for  one  hundred  dollars ;  and  upon  his 
returning  to  Athens  requested  to  occupy  Dr.  Hoyt's  pulpit 
for  the  purpose  of  bringing  the  subject  before  the  congregation, 
which  he  did  with  real  zeal  and  animation,  after  his  sermon  was 
delivered  on  the  subject  of  Christian  Benevolence.  Now 
Providence  so  ordered  it,  that  on  the  Saturday  before  the 
effort  of  Dr.  Church,  two  gentlemen  of  the  legal  profession 
had  terminated  a  long,  laborious  and  difficult  arbitration,  for 
which  service  each  had  received  a  fee  of  five  hundred  dollars  ; 
and  as  the  Doctor  urged  his  case  with  warmth,  each  of  these 
lawyers  said  within  himself,  the  Doctor's  pledge  must  be 
redeemed,  and  we  must  furnish  him  the  means,  as  it  will  just 
be  a  tythe  of  our  fees  in  the  arbitration  case.  As  soon  as 
the  benediction  was  pronounced,  they  met  in  the  aisle,  com- 
pared notes,  and  agreed  to  contribute  the  amount  of  the 
pledge.  But  they  were  not  the  only  persons  interested  in 
this  work,  as  many  others  made  contributions,  not  only  of 
the  Presbyterians  but  also  of  the  Methodist  Church  in  Athens 
and  its  vicinity.  His  success  was  greater  than  any  other 
minister  of  the  Rochester  Assembly,  as  will  appear  from  the 
following  letter: 

CmcAGO,  July  24th,  1860. 
Rev.  Dr.  Church — My  Dear  Sir:  Yours  of  the  18th,  enclosing  check 
for  $204,  in  redemption  of  your  pledge  for  $100,  came  to  hand  to-day 
You  will  be  glad  to  learn  that  you  are  not  the  only  one  who  has  redeemed' 
the  pledge  made  at  Rochester  -,  thougli  I  believe  you  are  the  only  one 
who  has  gone  above  double,    1  am  happy  to  be  allowed  to  inform  you 


128  NECROLOGY. 


that  the  people  are  sharing  in  the  wonderful  blessings  of  crops  in  harvest 
and  in  prospect,  which  make  this  whole  country  such  a  charming  marvel 
to  see  at  this  time.  Last  Thursday  they  observed  as  a  day  of  thanks- 
giving at  St.  Ann,  and  I  am  informed  had  a  very  interesting  time. 

We  have  almost  ceased  to  distribute  food,  except  in  special  cases.  "We 
are  now  trying  to  press  forward  arrangements  for  meeting  the  demands 
of  the  spiritual  work  among  them,  and  are  beginning  its  difficulties  and 
the  mischief  that  unscrupulous  proselyters  may  do.  Mr.  Chiniquy 
leaves  for  Europe  this  week,  by  special  invitation  from  Scotland,  to 
attend  the  tri-centenary  commemoration  of  the  Great  Reformation,  they 
bearing  the  expenses  of  the  trip.  We  trust  that  the  cause  here  will  go  on 
by  the  aid  of  others,  one  of  whom,  young  Monad,  has  been  among  the 
people  all  summer,  and  we  trust  will  take  charge  of  the  High  School  this 
fall.  I  go  down  in  the  morning  to  see  about  matters. 
Very  truly  yours, 

W.  M.  SCOTT. 

While  contemplating  Dr.  Church's  ministerial  character 
and  labors,  it  is  pleasant  to  know  that  he  had  evidences  like 
the  following.  A  young  gentleman  of  Alabama,  pursuing 
the  study  of  the  law,  and  who  had  graduated  at  the  Univer- 
sity, writes  thus : 

My  Kind  Old  Friend — This  is  to  inform  you  that  a  change  has  come 
over  the  spirit  of  my  dreams — that  I  have  changed  my  habits  of  life — in 
short,  that  I  have  made  a  profession  of  the  Christian  religion.  I  write 
you  because  whenever  any  great  change  takes  place  in  mind  or  body,  I 
immediately  look  for  the  prime  cause ;  and  having  examined  this,  have 
come  to  the  conclusion  that  your  kind  advice,  and  the  interest  manifested 
in  me  by  some  of  your  family,  had  much  to  do  in  bringing  about  such  a 
result. 

His  liberality  and  disinterested  hospitality  were  proverbial. 
Although  he  might  have  accumulated  a  handsome  estate,  he 
saved  barely  sufficient  to  make  his  retirement  comfortable, 
and  his  old  age  easy.  In  addition  to  a  few  servants  and  a 
small  farm,  he  had  a  pecuniary  income  of  about  twelve  hun- 
dred dollars,  which  sufficed  for  his  simple  wants.  He  had  a 
private  library  of  great  value  for  its  theological  works,  which 
afforded  him  occupation  and  pleasure  in  his  leisure  moments. 
He  had  for  years  contemplated  writing  the  history  of  the 
University  of  Georgia,  but  the  necessary  duties  incident  to 


REV.   ALONZO   CHUKCH,    D.  D.  129 

his  new  settlement  on  the  farm,  and  the  loss  of  his  accom- 
plished wife,  interfered  so  seriously  with  this  plan  as  to 
render  it  impracticable  immediately  after  his  retirement  from 
the  College.  And  then  the  war  put  an  end  tc  all  his  means 
of  collecting  materials  for  such  a  history. 

His  incessant  labors  in  the  College  and  his  feeble  health 
prevented  him  from  cultivating  authorship  to  any  great 
extent.  His  principal  publication  is  an  octavo  pamphlet  of 
forty  pages  on  the  subject  of  education  in  Georgia,  entitled, 
"A  Discourse  delivered  before  the  Geo^rgia  Historical  Society, 
on  the  occasion  of  its  Sixth  Anniyersary,  on  Wednesday,  the 
12th  February,  1845,"  in  the  city  of  Savannah.  This  dis- 
course, as  indeed  all  his  official  communications,  show  that 
he  possessed  an  elevated  style,  a  clear  perception,  'a  sound 
judgment,  and  an  earnest  logic,  while  it  manifests  that  noble 
love  of  fame  so  strong  in  the  breast  of  man.  Let  a  single 
quotation  suffice  as  an  illustration  : 

"  In  looking  at  the  relations  we  sustain  to  our  fellow-men, 
we  find  that  they  do  not  connect  us  with  the  present  day 
alone,  but  also  with  the  past  and  the  future.  To  many  who 
have  preceded  us,  Ave  are  under  peculiar  obligations — obliga- 
tions which  cannot  be  disregarded  without  failing  in  duty, 
not  to  them  alone,  but  to  present  and  future  generations. 
The  names  of  good  men  who  have  gone  to  the  grave — men 
who  have  devoted  their  lives  to  the  happiness  of  their  fellow- 
men,  should  be  rescued  from  oblivion.  Their  virtuous  deeds 
should  be  held  up  to  the  view,  and  for  the  imitation  of  all.  This 
duty,  ever  binding  upon  the  members  of  society,  is  felt  only 
by  the  few,  and  but  seldom  discharged  by  any.  And  even 
the  few  that  attempt  in  any  degree  to  discharge  their  duty  to 
those  who  have  preceded  them,  have  confined  their  efforts 
almost  exclusively  to  those  who  have  been  pre-eminent  in 
wisdom  and  virtue.  That  distinguished  men  should  be  re- 
membered with  merited  honor,  all  will  at  once  acknowledge, 
and  most  will  occasionally  render  them  the  tribute  of  juBt 
9 


130  NECROLOGY. 


praise.  But  such  men  will  be  honored — they  need  not  our 
efforts  to  secure  for  them  the  just  meed  of  fame.  But  there 
are  many  others  to  whom  we  are  greatly  indebted,  whose 
names  and  whose  virtues  will  be  unknown  to  future  ages, 
unless  rescued  from  oblivion  by  speedy  exertions.  Men  have 
ever  been  too  indifferent  to  the  merits  of  humble  virtue  ;  and 
especially  have  they  been  too  remiss  in  seizing  upon  that  strong 
passion  in  the  human  heart,  the  love  of  posthumous  praise. 
Every  man  wishes  to  be  known  to  succeeding  ages.  Every 
man  desires  that  his  name  may  stand  upon  the  chronicles  of 
the  country,  that  he  may  in  some  degree  be  considered  a 
benefactor  of  his  fellow-men.  And  a  hope  that  this  desire 
will  be  gratified  will  incite  to  virtue — will  restrain  from  vice. 
We  owe  it  then  to  the  dead — we  owe  it  to  the  living — we  owe 
it  to  the  good  of  succeeding  generations,  and  especially  to 
the  welfare  of  society,  to  rescue  from  oblivion  the  good  deeds 
of  those  who,  though  they  may  not  have  been  most  conspicu- 
ous among  their  fellow-men,  have  still  rendered  some  service 
to  their  country — have  still  been  benefactors  to  their  race. 
In  discharging  this  duty  local  history  is  an  all  important 
instrument."     pp.  5-6. 

In  the  very  spirit  of  the  quotation  the  Synod  of  Georgia 
is  now  acting,  by  placing  on  record  proper  memorials  of  her 
deceased  ministers. 

There  is  another  aspect  in  which  the  labors  of  Dr.  Church 
must  be  viewed  in  oi'der  to  appreciate  his  character  fully  as 
an  educator  of  youth.  It  will  be  remembered  that  for  years 
a  controversy  has  been  going  on  in  relation  to  the  studies 
which  should  be  introduced  into  a  College  curriculum.  On 
the  one  side  it  is  contended  that  little  or  no  attention  should 
be  paid  to  the  ancient  classics— that  modern  languages 
should  in  a  great  degree  take  their  place,  and  especially  the 
English  language ;  that  all  the  natural  sciences  should  be  intro- 
duced ;  that  education  should  be  eminently  practical,  rather 
than  training ;  that  the  student  should  see  the  present  use  of 


REV.   ALONZO   CHtRCH,   D.  D.  131 

all  his  studies.  While  on  the  other  hand,  it  is  contended 
that  College  education  should  be  mainly  confined  to  training 
studies,  which  the  experience  of  ages  has  demonstrated  to  be 
the  seven  liberal  arts  and  sciences ;  that  the  true  mode  of 
real  education  is  not  to  multiply  subjects  of  study,  but  to 
study  these  seven  liberal  arts  and  sciences  more  thoroughly. 
Now  in  this  controversy,  Dr.  Church  threw  all  his  weight  and 
influence  on  the  side  of  the  latter,  and  did  much  to  form  a 
sound  sentiment  on  this  subject  among  our  Southern  Colleges, 
and  justly  entitled  himself  to  be  considered,  as  he  was  con- 
sidered, one  of  the  best  College  Presidents  that  ever  blessed 
our  institutions  of  learning. 

Dr.  Church  was  licensed  by  Hopewell  Presbytery,  at 
Athens,  the  4th  April,  1820.  He  was  ordained  by  the  same 
Presbytery,  at  Bethany,  Green  county,  April  3d,  1824.  He 
was  a  thorough  Presbyterian  in  principle  and  sympathy,  but 
as  free  from  sectarian  narrowness  as  it  is  possible  for  a  good 
man  to  be.  It  is  to  his  influence  in  no  small  degree  that  so 
much  harmony  has  uniformly  prevailed  among  the  Christian 
denominations  of  Athens. 

Dr.  Church  was  at  one  time  invited  to  become  the  Pastor 
of  a  leading  Church  in  Charleston,  S.  C.  A  most  stubborn 
opposition  to  his  acceptance  was  made  by  the  people  of  Athens, 
without  reference  to  denominations  or  parties.  It  was  liter- 
ally a  popular  demonstration  by  way  of  petition,  signed  by 
everybody.  Upon  another  occasion  the  people  of  Athens 
presented  him  with  a  service  of  silver,  at  a  cost  of  several 
hundred  dollars,  in  testimony  of  their  respect  and  veneration 
for  him. 

Dr.  Church  never  took  part  in  politics.  He  was  from 
conviction  a  free  trade  man.  He  was  so  prudent  in  voting 
that  not  more  than  one  or  two  persons  knew  how  he  voted. 
He  had  one  rule  that  he  invariably  followed,  and  that  was  to 
vote  for  the  candidate  that  was  educated  under  him,  without 
reference  to  his  party  alignment,  provided  he  had  maintained 


132  NEdROLOGY. 


a  good  moral  character.  He  made  character  an  important 
item  in  all  the  votes  he  cast.  He  wrote  his  tickets  and 
refused  the  printed  ones.  He  sometimes  made  up  his  ticket 
with  the  names  of  good  rnen  from  the  Ksts  of  both  parties, 
rejecting  such  as  were  reputed  to  be  drunken  and  immoral, 
and  if  the  lists  did  not  furnish  enough  names  of  good  men  he 
voted  an  imperfect  ticket. 

He  was  married  soon  after  his  settlement  in  Eatonton  to 
Miss  Sarah  Trippe,  a  beautiful  young  lady  of  the  county  of 
Putnam,  and  remarkable  for  retaining  her  beauty  to  the  end 
of  life,  and  survived  her  only  about  one  yeai*.  They  had  a 
large  family  of  children,  several  of  whom  died  in  infancy,  and 
eight  of  whom  arrived  at  years  of  maturity,  and  survived  both 
parents. 

They  are  scattered  through  different  States ;  one  having 
died  the  year  after  his  father.  Not  one  of  them  resides  in 
the  State  of  Georgia,  though  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  his  youngest 
son  may  yet  settle  in  our  State,  and  enjoy  the  prestige  of  his 
father*8  good  name  and  fame  among  us. 

In  estimating  Dr.  Church's  personal  character,  we  must 
n:ot  oinit  his  courage,  his  prudence,  his  courtesy  and  fine 
ftianners,  his  Christian  meekness,  and  that  wonderful  com- 
mand of  temper  which  he  possessed  above  most  men. 

In  stature,  he  was  six  feet  high,  spare  built,  With  very 
pale  complexion.  He  had  black  hair,  and  keen  black  eyes. 
In  the  class-room,  he  ever  commanded,  by  his  dignified 
presence,  the  respect  of  every  student. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Synod  of  Georgia,  in  Macon, 
November,  1862, 'in  a  minute  adopted  by  that  body,  after 
recounting  his  valuable  services  as  ari  educator,  it  proceeds : 
"As  a  man.  Dr.  Church  was  the  finished  gentleman — polished 
in  his  manners,  affable  and  kind  in  his  social  intercourse  with 
men — a  man  of  spirit,  yet  of  humility.  As  a  Christian,  he 
was  meek,  cheerful,  consistent,  charitable;  as  a  preacher, 
he  was  plain,  practical,  and  persuasive.     Though  he  never 


REV.   ALONZO   CHURCH,    D.  D.  133 

filled  the  pastoral  office,  yet  was  abundant  in  labors  as  a 
minister,  supplying  the  feeble  and  destitute  Churches  in  the 
vicinity  of  Athens.  It  was  his  delight  and  his  glory  to 
preach  the  gospel  to  the  poor." 

His  mortal  remains  lie  interred  in  the  Oconee  Cemetery — 
the  beautiful  burying-ground  of  the  cultivated  people  of 
Athens — by  the  side  of  his  beloved  wife. 


REV.    BENJAMIN    D.    DuPREE. 


Benjamin  David  DuPree  was  born  in  the  city  of 
Charleston,  South  Carolina,  29th  of  December,  1799.  He 
was  the  son  of  Benjamin  and  Mary  DuPree.  The  family 
was  of  French  or  Huguenot  descent.  At  what  time  it  came 
to  America,  is  not  known ;  probably  soon  after  the  revocation 
of  the  edict  of  Nantez,  when  so  many  of  the  Reformed  reli- 
gion emigrated  from  France  to  this  country.* 

When  the  subject  of  this  memoir  was  about  ten  years  old, 
the  family  removed  from  Charleston  to  Old  Pendleton,  S.  C. 
After  their  removal,  he  pursued  his  studies  in  an  academy 
taught  by  a  Mr.  McClintock,  at  Pendleton.  We  have  been 
unable  to  learn  at  what  time  he  became  the  subject  of  divine \ 
grace.  It  was,  doubtless,  while  at  the  academy,  and  under 
the  ministry  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Hillhouse,  then  the  efficient 
and  successful  pastor  of  the  Pendleton  Presbyterian  Church. f 

*  Huguenot.— Prohahly  from  the  word  Huguon,  a  night-walker, 
because,  like  the  early  Christians,  they  assembled  privately  in  the  evening. 
It  was  on  the  eve  of  St.  Bartholomew's  Day,  August  24,  1572,  at  the 
ringing  of  a  bell,  that  the  massacre  of  the  French  Protestants  began.  An 
unparalleled  scene  of  horror  ensued.  Five  hundred  men  of  distinction, 
and  ten  thousand  of  inferior  order,  were  slain  that  night  in  Paris.  A 
general  destruction  was  immediately  ordered  throughout  France ;  sixty 
thousand  perished.  More  than  800,000  were  destroyed  in  thirty  years,  in 
France,  for  adopting  the  Reformed  religion.  The  Huguenots  fled  to 
every  Protestant  country  in  Europe,  and  many  of  them  passed  over  to 
America.  They  settled  in  Carolina ;  and  much  of  the  best  blood  of  that 
State  is  of  Huguenot  origin. 

f  Rev.  James  Hillhouse  was  the  son  of  William  and  Sarah  Hillhouse, 
and  of  Irish  origin.  His  father  was  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution,  and  was 
at  the  siege  of  Savannah,  and  in  many  other  battles  in  the  Carolinas.  He 
was  a  man  of  eminent  piety,  and  brought  up  his  fomily  in  the  nurture 
and  admonition  of  the  Lord. 

Mr.  Hillhouse   received   Ms  classical  education  at  the  Varrennes 

134 


REV.    BENJAMIN   D.    DUPREE.  135 


After  having  obtained  a  good  classical  education  in  1818,  lie 
commenced  the  study  of  Theology  under  the  private  instruc- 
tion of  his  pastor,  (Mr.  Hillhouse,)  who  then  resided  a  few 
miles  from  the  village  of  Old  Pendleton. 

In  1819,  he  was  taken  under  the  care  of  the  Presbytery 
of  South  Carolina,  as  a  candidate  for  the  holy  ministry,  and 
by  that  body  was  licensed  to  preach  the  gospel,  on  the  5th 
of  November,  1821. 

On  the  1st  day  of  February,  1820,  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Eliza  Frances  Carne,  daughter  of  Thomas  Wilkinson  and 
Elizabeth  Carne,  who  had  removed  from  Charleston  to  Pen- 
dleton in  1816. 

Soon  after  his  licensure,  he  was  appointed  by  his  Presby- 
tery to  labor  as  a  missionary  among  the  destitute  Churches 
in  that  part  of  Old  Pendleton,  now  Pickens  Distriot,  in  the 
northwestern  part  of  the  State  of  South  Carolina.  He 
continued  to  occupy  this  field  until  1825.  He  organized, 
about  this  time,  a  Church  on  Cane  Creek,  called  Mount  Zion, 
and  another  on  Conoross  Creek,  called  Westminster — to  both 
of  which  he  continued  to  minister  for  some  seven  or  eight 
years. 

Returning  to  the  village  of  Pendleton,  he  ministered  for 
three  or  four  years  to  Sandy  Springs  Church,  and  subse- 
quently at  Old  Bethel,  Bachelor's  Retreat,  Pickens  C.  H., 
and  at  other  places.  To  all  these  his  labors  were  acceptable 
and  useful.  In  all  these  fields  his  memory  will  be  long 
cherished  with  esteem  and  affection. 

Academy,  in  what  was  then  Pendleton,  now  Anderson  District,  S.  C, 
under  the  instruction  of  the  late  David  McDowell,  of  Wiunsboro'.  He 
studied  Theology  at  Willington,  under  the  care  of  the  late  Dr.  Waddel, 
and  was  licensed  and  ordained  by  the  Presbytery  of  South  Cnrolina. 

He  had  charge  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  at  Pendleton  village  for 
several  years.  He  emigrated  thence  to  Alabama,  and  settled  at  Greens- 
boro', Green  county,  where  he  died  in  the  prime  of  life.  He  was  a  man 
of  considerable  ability— a  most  fervent  speaker.  His  ministry,  though 
short,  was  greatly  successful. 


136  NECROLOGY. 


About  this  time,  he  determined  to  change  his  field  of  labor. 
The  western  portion  of  Georgia  being  then  a  comparatively 
new  country,  in  1845,  he  moved  with  his  family  to  Cobb 
county.  Here  he  connected  himself  with  Cherokee  Presby- 
tery, within  whose  bounds  he  labored  most  of  his  time  as  a 
missionary  among  the  feeble  and  destitute  Churches  in  this 
large  and  interesting  field. 

At  the  ,time  of  his  death,  he  was  preaching  as  stated 
supply  at  Hickory  Flat  and  Midway  Churches,  in  Cherokee 
Presbytery,  and  at  Villa  Rica  and  Carrollton,  and  New 
Manchester  Factory,  within  the  bounds  of  Flint  River 
Presbytery. 

From  this  brief  statement,  we  learn  that  our  venerable 
father  was  no  loiterer  in  the  Master's  vineyard.  He  occu- 
pied, in  many  respects,  hard  fields  of  labor,  furnishing  him 
with  plenty  of  work,  but  affording  him  only  a  scanty  and 
meagre  support.  Like  the  Apostle  Paul,  he  was  compelled 
to  work  with  his  own  hands  to  provide  for  a  dependent 
family.  The  school  and  the  farm  were  added  to  the  toils  of 
a  ministry  extending  over  a  large  space  of  country,  and 
continued  through  a  period  of  more  than  forty  years.  But 
during  this  long  and  arduous  ministry,  he  was  the  honored 
instrument,  in  the  hands  of  God,  of  turning  many  to  right- 
eousness, who  were  seals  of  that  ministry  on  earth,  and  will 
be  stars  in  his  crown  of  rejoicing  in  heaven. 

The  history  of  this  brother  is  the  history  of  many  others, 
who,  like  him,  lived  and  labored  for  the  good  of  society — 
little  known,  and  with  little  worldly  compensation.  The 
people  among  whom  he  labored  were  poor,  in  their  own  esti- 
mation. They  neither  fed  nor  clothed  his  family ;  yet  were 
they  spiritually  enriched  by  his  toil.  He  went  on  the  warfare 
at  his  own  charges ;  he  planted,  and  others  eat  the  fruit ;  he 
fed  the  flock,  and  eat  not  of  the  milk  of  the  flock. 

The  arduous  and  long  continued  services  of  Mr.  DuPree, 
exhausting  in  their  nature,  drew  heavily  upon  a  constitution 


REV.    BENJAMIN   D.    DUPREE.  187 

unusually  robust,  but  to  which  it  eventually  succumbed.  He 
was  always  punctual  in  fulfilling  his  engagements,  even  at 
the  most  distant  points,  allowing  no  severity  of  weather  to 
prevent  his  meeting  with  the  people  of  his  charge.  When 
urged  by  his  family  at  times  not  to  expose  his  health  and 
life  in  such  inclement  seasons,  he  would  reply,  "  I  would 
rather  wear  out  than  rust  out." 

On  Saturday  the  11th  of  April,  1863,  he  met  for  the  last 
time  with  the  Presbytery  of  Cherokee,  then  in  session  at 
Mai-ietta,  and  was  apparently  in  usual  health.  He  returned 
to  his  home  about  seven  miles  distant,  and  was  suddenly 
attacked  with  a  violent  sore  throat  on  Thursday  or  Friday 
following,  supposed  to  be  diptheria,  and  died  early  on  Satur- 
day morning,  the  18ih  of  April,  1863,  just  one  week  after 
meeting  with  his  brethren  in  Presbytery. 

He  died  in  the  61th  year  of  his  age  and  the  42d  of  his 
ministry.  He  left  a  widow  and  four  children,  two  sons  and 
two  daughters,  all  grown  and  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church.  Three  of  these  were  comfortably  settled  in  life,  of 
whom  a  married  daughter  lived  in  South  Carolina,  and  two 
married  sons  quite  near  him.  Three  sons  and  two  daughters 
had  preceded  him  to  the  grave.  One  of  his  sons,  Mr.  Newton 
DuPree,  was  an  Elder  in  the  Church,  and  fell  on  the  field  of 
battle  in  Virginia  during  the  war. 


REV.  GEORGE  CLAUDIUS  FLEMING.* 


George  Claudius  Fleming  was  born  in  St.  Augustine, 
Florida,  October  30th,  1822,  His  parents  were  Roman 
Catholics,  and  he  was  educated  in  that  faith.  In  the  year 
1837  he  was  sent  to  school  in  South  Hadley,  Mass.  Two 
years  after  he  was  hopefully  converted,  and  removed  to 
Amherst,  in  the  same  State,  where  he  was  prepared  for  Col- 
lege, but  owing  to  pecuniary  embarrassments  he  did  not  enter 
college.  His  inclinations  led  him  to  seek  the  ministry  as  the 
field  where  he  could  best  promote  the  glory  of  God,  and  do 
good  to  the  souls  of  men.  But  at  the  earnest  solicitations  of 
friends  he  consented  to  study  medicine. 

After  his  graduation  at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  he 
practised  medicine  for  a  time  at  Black  Creek,  Florida.  His 
heart,  however,  was  in  the  ministry,  and  he  soon  laid  aside 
the  profession  of  medicine,  and  commenced  the  study  of 
Theology  at  Princeton,  N.  J. 

His  first  labors  in  the  ministry  were  at  Woodstock,  Florida, 
where  he  preached  for  three  years.  He  then  removed  to  St. 
Marys,  Georgia,  where  he  labored  one  year  with  great  accep- 
tance, and  with  much  promise  of  success.  His  disease,  which 
was  consumption,  first  made  its  appearance  in  the  Spring  of 
1857,  but  he  continued  in  the  faithful  discharge  of  his  duties 
until  July,  when,  after  a  communion  season  which  severely 
taxed  his  strength,  he  was  laid  aside  from  preaching,  and 
never  again  entered  the  pulpit. 

In  February  following  he  left  St.  Marys  for  Magnolia, 
Florida,  hoping  thait  the  change  would  prove  beneficial  to  his 
health.  But  he  sank  rapidly  under  his  disease,  and  in  one 
week  after  his  arrival  at  the  latter  place  he  calmly  and  peace- 

*MSS.  From  Rev.  D.  L.  Buttolph. 
138 


REV.  GEORGE  CLAUDIUS  FLEMING.         1S9 

fully  entered  into  his  rest,  A  ministerial  brother  who  visited 
him  in  his  last  illness  says,  "  That  though  weak  in  body,  and 
oftentimes  wandering  in  mind,  yet  in  his  lucid  intervals  he 
gave  evidence  of  a  strong  faith  in  Christ,  and  quiet  resigna- 
tion to  the  Divine  will.  His  last  words,  after  taking  leave  of 
his  family,  were,  "  God  is  love." 

Mr.  Fleming  was  very  much  beloved  by  the  Church  in 
St.  Marys.  His  preaching  was  distinguished  for  warmth  and 
earnestness.  He  was  an  excellent  pastor.  He  visited  his 
flock  often,  and  labored  from  house  to  hou&e.  He  left  a  wife 
and  several  children. 


REV.  THOMAS  GOULDIXG,  D.D. 


For  the  following  commemorative  notice  of  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Ooulding  we  are  principally  indebted  to  the  papers  of.  the 
Eev.  Dr.  Talmage  and  the  Hon,  Joseph  H.  Lumpkin,  found 
in  Sprague's  Annals  of  the  American  Pulpit.  Having 
enjoyed  a  somewhat  intimate  acquaintance  with  him  for  thir- 
teen or  fourteen  years  as  a  co- presbyter,  we  can  cordially 
endorse  what  they  have  said  of  his  excellence  as  a  man  and  a 
minister.  For  many  years  he  lived  in  almost  daily  expecta- 
tion of  death.  He  felt  he  had  the  sentence  of  death  within 
him,  and  that  at  any  m^sment  he  might  be  called  from  earth. 
We  remember  well  an  observation  he  made  to  us  the  last 
interview  we  had  with  him  :  speaking  of  some  expected  event, 
he  calmly  remarked,  '■^ I  shall  go  up  yonder  some  of  these  days 
suddenly' — lifting  his  hand  and  turning  his  eye  heavenward. 
He  lived  more  habitually  in  expectation  of  his  departure  than 
almost  any  man  we  ever  knew.  He  kept  his  Samp  trimmed 
and  his  light  burning  in  readiness  for  the  coming  of  the  bride- 
groom. His  dis'^ase,  an  affection  of  the  heart,  he  regarded 
as  hereditary,  his  mother,  we  think,  having  died  of  it. 

The  following  letter  is  from  the  Rev.  Samuel  K.  Talmage, 
addressed  to  Dr.  Sprague,  and  dated, 

Oglethorpe  University,  January  23,  1849. 

My  Dear  Sir — I  cheerfully  comply  with  your  request,  that  I  should 
furnish  you  with  a  brief  notice  of  the  life,  and  some  estimate  of  the  char- 
acter of  iny  ever  venerated  friend,  the  late  Rev.  Dr.  Thomas  Goulding. 

Thomas  Goulding  was  born  in  Midway,  Liberty  county.  Ga.,  March 
14,  1786.  At  the  time  of  his  death,  he  was  the  oldest  of  fifteen  Presby- 
terian ministers  from  one  Church,  occupying  ueefully  and  honorably 
various  and  important  responsible  stations  in  the  South.  He  was  the 
first  native  licentiate  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  Georgia. 

It  might  be  profitable  to  enquire  why  the  on«  Church  of  Midway, 
Liberty  county,  has  furnished  more  Presbyterian  ministers  for  the  State 

140 


HEV.   THOMAS   GOtLDiNG,   B.  D.  141 


of  Georgia  than  all  the  other  ninety-two  counties  united.  The  influence 
of  one  little  colony  of  Puritans  that  made  its  way  thither,  through  a 
scene  of  trials  and  disasters,  from  Dorchester, Mass.,  who  can  describe? 
Heaven's  register  will  unfold  many  a  page  which  earth's  historians  fail  to 
■write.  What  the  Christian  Church  does  for  the  State,  the  world  will 
never  fully  know. 

At  the  age  of  sixteen,  j'ouug  Goulding  was  sent  to  Wolcott,  Conn., 
Where  lie  received  the  principal  part  of  his  academic  education.  He 
prosecuted  the  study  of  the  law  in  Kew  Haven,  in  the  office  of  Judge 
Daggett.  He  was  married  to  Ann  Holbrook,  iii  Soutbington,  Conn.,  in 
November,  1806.  In  April,  1810,  he  became  connected  with  the  Church 
in  his  native  place,  (Midway,)  and  soon  felt  it  to  be  his  duty  to  devote 
himself  to  the  work  of  the  Christian  ministry. 

Towards  the  close  of  the  year  1811  he  was  receited  as  a  candidate^ 
under  the  care  of  the  Harmony  Presbytery,*  antl  was  licensed  to  preach 
the  gospel  in  December,  1813.  A  few  uiontlis  after  his  licensure,  he  com^ 
menced  preaching  as  stated  supply  at  White  Bluff,  and  was  ordained  and 
installed  pastor  of  that  Church  January  1st,  1816.  Here  be  labored 
faithfully,  acceptably  and  successfully  for  about  six  years,  during  which 
time  the  warmest  reciprocal  attachments  were  formed  bet-sf  een  himself 
and  his  flock.  In  1833  he  resigned  his  chafge,  and  removed  to  Lexing- 
ton, Oglethorpe  count j'.  Here  fte  remained  for  eight  years,  during  which 
he  exerted  an  itiflnence  over  some  of  the  first  minds  in  the  State,  which 
is  new.  felling  a,nd  will  forever  tell  on  the  best  interests  of  men.  Many  a 
comlTftuuity  is  now  reaping  rich  spiritual  blessings,  the  source  of  which-^ 
Unknown  to  themselves — is  in  the  honored  instrumentality  of  this  faithful 
man  of  God.  On  the  establishment  of  the  Theological  Seminary  by  the 
Synod  of  South  Carolina  and  Georgia,  he  was  elected  by  the  Synod  its 
first,  and  for  a  time,  its  only  Professor. 

He  was  honored  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity  from  the  Uni- 
versity of  North  Carolina  in  18^9. 

For  one  year  he  instructed  a  Theological  class  at  Lexington  in  connec- 
tion with  his  pastoral  labors,  and  was  transferred  by  direction  of  tire 
Synod  to  Columbia,  South  Carolina,  the  present  site  of  the  Si^minary. 

After  serving  the  Church  laboriously  in  the  department  of  Ecclesiastical 
History  and  Church  Government  for  several  years,  in  connection  with 
others  associated  with  him,  he  resigned  his  chair  as  Professor,  and  was 
called  to  his  late  charge  ia  Columbus,  Ga.,  in  January,  1835.  For  thirteen 
years  and  a  half  he  was  €he  laborious  and  faithful  pastor  of  that  Church. 
He  found  it  comparatively  weak,  and  by  bis  persevering  fidelity  raised  it 
to  influence  and  strength. 


*  Harmony  Presbytery  included  all  the  seaboard  of  Georgia  at  that  pietiod,  and 
Until  1821,  when  the  Vteshttdrt  of  Georgia  was  set  off. 


142  NECROLOGY. 


He  was,  for  many  years  in  succession,  elected  President  of  the  Board 
of  Trustees  of  Oglethorpe  University,  -which  oflBce  he  held  at  the  time  of 
his  death.  He  died,  as  was  his  oft  expressed  wish,  "  with  his  harness 
on."  On  the  evening  of  the  26th  of  June,  1848,  he  attended  his  usual 
weekl}'^  lecture.  He  was  in  a  state  of  great  bodily  debility  when  he  left 
his  house,  and  was  attacked,  whilst  in  the  house  of  God,  with  a  paroxysm 
from  an  affection  of  the  heart,  under  which  he  had  long  been  laboring. 
With  great  effort,  he  finished  the  service.  The  subject  of  his  lecture 
was  taken  from  the  first  four  verses  of  the  63d  Psalm — "  O  God,  thou  art 
my  God,"  etc.  It  was  a  fitting  theme  for  the  veteran  soldier  of  the  cross 
to  dwell  upon,  just  as  he  had  reached  the  portals  of  his  Father's  house. 
It  was  a  suitable  topic  to  present  in  his  last  address  to  his  beloved 
parishioners.  And  happy  were  they  who  did  not  allow  themselves  to  be 
detained  from  the  service. 

Within  one  short  hour  from  his  pronouncing  the  benediction  upon  his 
hearers,  he  was  called,  I  doubt  not,  to  hear  the  benediction  pronounced 
■upon  his  own  spirit  from  the  lips  of  the  Saviour  whom  he  loved,  "  Well 
done,  good  and  faithful  servant;  enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord." 

On  retiring  from  the  place  of  worship,  he  hastened  to  his  chamber  in 
a  state  of  great  exhaustion.  He  had  scarcely  reclined  upon  his  couch, 
when  a  violent  paroxysm  of  his  disease  seized  him.  He  rose  to  lean 
upon  the  mantle,  his  accustomed  source  of  relief,  but  relief  came  not ;  the 
usual  remedies  proved  unavailing.  In  the  intense  agony  which  he 
suffered,  he  said  to  a  friend,  that  he  would  be  glad  if  it  would  please  the 
good  Lord  soon  to  take  him  away,  as  his  sufferings  were  very  great.  To 
a  beloved  son,  who  was  overwhelmed  at  witnessing  his  agony,  he  admin- 
istered a  tender  rebuke.  He  was  presently  heard,  by  one  of  his  daughters, 
uttering  the  prayer,  "  Come,  Lord  Jesus ;  come  quickly."  That  prayer 
was  heard :  he  ceased  to  breathe — his  spirit  was  at  rest. 

The  high  estimation  in  which  he  was  held  was  manifested  at  his 
death  by  many  unequivocal  signs.  It  was  evinced  in  the  deep  sorrow 
that  pervaded  the  whole  city  in  which  he  lived,  as  the  mournful  intelli- 
gence spread  through  its  habitations ;  in  the  thronged  assemblage  and 
flowing  tears  witnessed  at  the  funeral  rites ;  and  in  the  strong  expressions 
of  regret  with  which  the  sad  tidings  were  received  among  his  large  circle 
of  friends  and  acquaintances  abroad. 

Dr.  Goulding  possessed  a  fine  intellect  and  cultivated  taste.  His 
pulpit  exercises  were  far  above  the  ordinary  standard,  and  especially 
when  his  bodily  infirmities  did  not  interfere  with  the  free  exercises  of 
his  physical  and  mental  energies.  He  was  a  well  read  and  polished 
scholar,  and  had  gathered  rich  harvests  in  the  fields  of  literature. 

More  engaging  attributes  still  were  the  strength  and  tenderness  of 
his  sensibilities,  and  the  sincerity  and  fervor  of  his  piety.  He  was  sus- 
ceptible of  strong  friendships,  for  his  feelings  were  of  the  moat  ardent 


REV.   THOMAS   GOULDING,    D.  D.  143 


kind.  There  was  also  in  his  character  a  childlike  simplicity,  that  won 
irresistibly  upon  his  associates.  If  these  attractive  qualities  had  their 
corresponding  infirmities,  they  were  the  natural  result  of  his  rare  gifts, 
and  he  would  have  bsen  the  last  man  to  claim  exemption  from  the 
frailties  of  humanity.  Conscious  of  his  own  integrity,  he  looked  for 
honesty  in  others,  and  was  liable  to  be  imposed  on  by  the  crafty  and 
designing;  whilst,  again,  the  strength  of  his  attachments  made  him  feel 
the  want  of  reciprocity  from  others,  whose  colder  natures  could  not  yield 
the  equivalent  which  the  warm  heart  requires. 

His  favorite  pursuit  was  the  investigation  of  theological  truth.  The 
inspired  volume  was  the  book  he  loved  best  to  study,  and  to  hold  up  to 
the  admiration  of  his  fellow-men.  He  was  well  informed  in,  and  thor- 
oughly devoted  to,  the  doctrines  and  polity  of  his  own  Church,  and  was 
an  able  advocate  of  both.  But,  as  his  own  judgment  was  based  on 
faithful  investigation  and  honest  conviction,  so  his  heart  was  open  to 
embrace  all  the  real  disciples  of  Christ.  And  so  it  is,  that  true  piety 
evokes  insensibly  a  corresponding  tone  of  harmony  from  every  other 
heart  which  the  Spirit  of  God  has  strung  to  Christian  unison.  The 
genuine  impulses  of  true  religious  experience  outrun  the  slow  deductions 
of  argument,  and  bigotry  itself  is  disarmed  before  the  eloquence  of  love. 
The  illuminations  of  the  Spirit  dissolve  sophistries  and  overthrow  preju- 
dices which  logic  cannot  demolish ;  and  a  heart  overflowing  with 
enlightened  Christian  chanty  sometimes  creates  to  itself  a  benignant 
centre  of  attraction,  where  the  most  discordant  materials  are  fused  into 
homogeneous  union,  and  caused  to  move  in  harmony. 

It  was  his  delight  to  expatiate  on  the  doctrines  of  the  cross,  and 
proclaim  them  to  his  fellow-men.  He  was  no  reluctant  hireling  servant 
in  the  spiritual  vineyard.  He  loved  his  covenanted  work,  and  was  ever 
ready,  in  season  and  out  of  season,  in  public  and  in  private,  to  hold  forth 
the  claims  and  vindicate  the  honors  of  his  gracious  Master. 

With  all  his  natural  and  acquired  endowments,  he  was  modest  and 
retiring,  and  shrunk  from  public  observation.  It  was,  doubtless,  owing 
to  this  fact  that  he  was  not  before  the  public  so  often  and  so  prominently 
as  many  others.  But  whenever  he  was  drawn  out  to  some  public  service, 
all  felt  his  power,  and  paid  the  tribute  of  profound  respect  to  the  origi- 
nality of  his  thoughts,  the  energy  of  his  manner,  and  the  beauty  and 
simplicity  of  his  style. 

Though,  from  bodily  infirmity,  his  brethren  were  often,  of  late  yearf , 
deprived  of  the  pleasure  of  seeing  him  in  our  ecclesiastical  convocations, 
his  occasional  presence  was  hailed  with  great  satisfaction ;  and  they 
sorrow  now  that  they  shall  see  his  face  no  more.* 

*  Dr.  Goulding,  by  appointment  of  the  General  Assembly,  opened  the  first 
session  of  the  Synod  of  Georgia,  that  met  in  Macon  on  the  20th  of  November,  1845, 
with  a  sermon  from  Acts  xx:  28,  and  was  elected  its  first  Moderator. 


144  Necrology. 


In  person,  Dr.  Goulding  was  of  medium  stature,  full  habit,  round 
contour  of  face,  high  forehead,  with  a  countenance  expressive  of  deep 
feeling  and  vigorous  intellect.  In  his  manners,  there  was  a  graceful 
simplicity,  blended  with  a  commanding  dignity,  that  was  exceedingly 
winning.  His  manner  in  the  pulpit,  whenever  his  health  and  spirits 
were  good,  was  at  once  pleasing  and  impressive — its  two  prominent 
elements  consisting  in  tenderness  and  earnestness. 

He  left  a  wife  and  nine  children,  having  lost  one  in  childhood.  He 
lived  to  enjoy  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  most  of  his  children  connected 
with  the  Church  of  Christ.  One  of  his  sons  and  two  of  his  sons-in-hiw, 
are  ministers  of  the  gospel. 

I  am,  dear  sir,  yours  truly,  SAMUEL  K.  TALMAGE. 

Prom  the  Hon.  Joseph  H.  Lumj)kin,  Chief  Justice  of  the  State  of  Georgia. 

AtheKb,  Ga.,  May  19,  1857. 
Dear  Sir — I  regret  that  ycur  letter  finds  me  so  oppressed  with  engage- 
ments, and  withal  in  such  imperfect  health,  that  it  is  quite  out  of  my 
power  to  comply  with  your  request  in  any  such  way  as  will  be  satisfac- 
tory either  to  you  or  myself  I  am  unwilling,  however,  absolutely  to 
decline  it;  and  will,  therefore,  in  a  very  hurried  way,  just  hint  at  what 
Bfeeni  to  ffife  to  have  been  some  of  the  most  prominent  features  in  Dr. 
Goulding*s  character.  My  opportunities  for  knowing  him  could  scarcely 
have  been  better  than  they  were.  Iretreived  my  firs'  permanent  religious 
impressions  and  joined  the  Church  under  his  ministry,  and  was  afier- 
Wards,  for  many  years,  a  member  of  his  session.  I  loved  him  as  a  man 
and  revered  him  as  a  pastor;  and  I  would  gladly  do  anything  in  my 
power  to  honor  and  perpetuate  his  memory. 

Dr.  Goukling's  character  was  formed  of  a  rare  combination  of  intellec- 
tual and  moral  qualities,  that  fitted  him  to  be  at  once  eminently  popular 
and  eminently  useful.  His  intellect  was  much  above  the  ordinary 
standard,  and  It  had  been  cultivated  by  diligent  and  long  continued  study. 
As  a  preacher,  he  was  always  sensible  and  instructive ;  and  sometimes 
his  pulpit  efforts  rose  to  a  very  high  order  of  excellence.  He  was  a 
thorough  Calvanist  of  the  Geneva  school ;  nor  could  any  considerations 
of  policy  induce  him  to  relax,  in  public  or  private,  one  jot  or  title  of  his 
creed.  The  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith  he  regarded  as  an  epitome 
of  the  Christian  system— as  embodying  its  life  and  power ;  and  this  in  its 
connections  undoubtedly  formed  the  favorite  theme  of  his  ministrations. 
Ko  one  could  sit  under  his  ministry,  with  any  degree  of  attention,  with- 
out gaining  verj^  definite  views  of  the  system  of  doctrine  which  he  held 
and  inculcated,  as  well  as  a  deep  impression  of  the  importance  he  attached 
to  it.    He  was  alike  explicit  and  earnest. 

It  has  been  my  privilege  to  listen  to  the  most  prominent  divines  both 
in  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain,  and  in  one  respect  it  has  seemed 


REV.    THOMAS   GOULDING,    J).  D.  145 


to  me  that  Dr.  Goulding  has  never  been  exceeded  within  my  knowledge 
— I  mean  as  a  preacher  of  funeral  sermons.  To  this  service,  which  is 
acknowledged,  I  believe,  to  be  one  of  the  most  dilficult  which  a  clergy- 
man ever  has  to  perform,  he  brought  a  degree  of  delicacy,  discrimination 
and  pathos,  that  commanded  not  only  the  attention,  but  the  admiration 
of  his  hearers. 

Though  Dr.  Goulding  had  in  some  respects  a  woman's  heart,  and  was 
of  tender  and  delicate  sensibility,  he  was  always  firm  to  his  convictions 
of  what  was  true  and  right.  In  worldly  matters  he  was  the  merest  child. 
Conscious  of  entire  sincerit}'^  himself,  he  seemed  scarcely  capable  of  sus- 
pecting the  sincerity  of  others.  A  more  unselfish  man  than  he  never 
lived.  In  all  circumstances  he  showed  himself  a  model  gentleman,  as 
well  as  a  model  Christian.  He  had  an  instinctive  discernment  of  all  the 
proprieties  of  life,  and  practiced  them  with  most  scrupulous  care  and 
consideration.  In  the  social  circle  he  was  the  most  genial  of  companions. 
He  had  at  his  command  a  fund  of  anecdotes,  many  of  which  were  con- 
nected with  his  own  history,  that  were  both  amusing  and  instructive,  and 
he  knew  how  to  turn  them  to  the  very  best  account. 

That  Dr.  Goulding  was  an  eminently  pious  man,  no  one  I  believe  ever 
doubted,  who  knew  him.  And  he  assured  me  that  if  he  was  ever  regen- 
erated it  was  while  he  was  asleep.  Wearied  with  his  burden  of  sin,  and 
his  fruitless  search  to  find  a  Saviour,  he  sunk  despairingly  into  a  profound 
slumber,  and  awoke  praising  God  for  his  great  salvation.  I  state  the  fact 
without  comment. 

Regretting  to  send  you  so  meagre  a  notice  of  my  venerable  friend  and 
pastor,  when  my  feelings  would  dictate  a  fuller  and  worthier  tribute  to 
his  memory, 

I  am,  sir,  very  trulj',  your  obedient  servant, 

JOSEPH  H.  LUMPKIN. 


The  St/nod  of  Georgia  on  the  Death  of  Dr.  Goulding. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Synod  at  Greensboro',  Ga.,  November 
27th,  1848,  the  following  resolutions  were  adopted : 

"Whereas,  It  has  pleased  Almighty  God,  during  the  past 
year,  to  remove  by  death  the  Rev.  Thomas  Goulding,  D.I>., 
an  honored  and  beloved  member  of  this  body  ; 

Resolved,  That  we  recognize  the  hand  of  an  inscrutible 

but  All- wise  Providence  in  this  dispensation  by  which  one  of 

our  most  useful  pastors  has  been  taken  from  a  beloved  Church; 

a  wise  counsellor  and  a  valuable  member  has  beea  removed 

10 


146  NECROLOGY. 


from  our  Synod,  and  the  Church  at  large  deprived  of  one  of 
her  ablest  and  most  faithful  servants. 

Resolved,  That  while  we  mourn  the  removal  of  our  lament- 
ed father  and  brother  from  the  scenes  of  his  earthly  labors, 
yet  we  rejoice  in  the  blessed  memory  he  has  left  behind,  and 
in  the  confident  assurance  that  he  has  entered  upon  that  '  rest 
that  remaineth  for  the  people  of  God.'  " 


REV.  JOHN  HARRISOISr  * 


John  Harrison  was  born  in  Virginia,  June  4th,  1776. 
His  mother,  Ann  Harrison,  was  a  daughter  of  the  Rev. 
Henry  Patillo,  of  North  Carolina. f  He  studied  the  Latin 
and  Greek  languages  under  the  tuition  of  the  Rev.  James 
Gilliland,  of  Spartanburg  District,  S.  C,  commencing  at  the 
advanced  age  of  twenty-four.  He  did  not,  it  seems,  contem- 
plate entering  the  ministry  at  the  time  he  entered  on  classical 
studies.  He  was  not  then  even  a  member  of  the  Church. 
His  object  was,  probably,  to  qualify  himself  for  a  teacher. 
For  a  number  of  years  he  was  engaged  in  teaching  the  Latin 
and  Greek  languages  in  the  upper  districts  of  South  Carolina. 

*  MSS.  from  the  family. 

f  Rev.  Henry  Patillo  was  a  Scotchman,  born  in  1726.  He  came  to  this 
country  when  nine  years  old,  in  company  with  an  elder  brother.  He  was 
first  a  merchant's  clerk,  and  afterwards  a  school  teacher.  After  a  long 
conflict  on  the  subject  of  his  relations  to  God,  as  a  sinner,  he  obtained 
comforting  and  satisfactory  views  of  Evangelical  truth.  Having  obtained 
hope  of  a  saving  interest  in  Christ,  he  became  deeply  anxious  in  respect 
to  the  spiritual  condition  of  those  around  him,  and  at  length  formed  the 
purpose  of  devoting  himself  to  the  ministry.  He  pursued  his  studies 
under  the  instruction  of  the  celebrated  Samuel  Davies,  of  Hanover,  Va., 
and  was  licensed  to  preacli  the  gospel  by  the  Hanover  Presbytery,  Sept. 
28th,  1757.  He  was  ordained  at  Cumberland,  on  the  12th  of  July,  1758. 
His  first  pastoral  charge  was  Willis  Creek,  Byrd  and  Buckland.  He  was 
dismissed  from  this  charge  in  1762,  on  the  ground  of  inadequate  support. 
He  subsequently  supplied  the  Churches  of  Cumberland,  Harris  Creek  and 
Deep  Creek.  He  was  called  to  the  Churches  of  Hawfields,  Eno  and 
Little  River,  North  Carolina,  in  1765,  where  he  spent  the  remainder  of 
his  life. 

In  1775  he  was  a  delegate  from  the  county  of  Bute,  (now  Warren  and 
Franklin,)  to  the  First  Provincial  Congress  of  North  Carolina.  He  died 
away  from  home,  in  Dinwiddy  county,  Va.,  while  on  a  missionary  tour 
in  1801.  His  last  moments  evinced  the  triumph  of  faith.  His  funeral 
sermon  was  preached  by  the  Rev.  Drury  Lacy. 

147 


148  NECROLOGY. 


About  the  age  of  thirty-six,  he  united  with  the  Church, 
and  shortly  thereafter  felt  it  to  be  his  duty  to  devote  himself 
to  the  ministry.  He  placed  himself  under  the  care  of  the 
South  Carolina  Presbytery  as  a  candidate  for  the  holy 
ministry.  He  studied  Theology  under  the  superintendence 
of  the  Rev.  John  B.  Kennedy,  of  Laurens  District,  S.  C. 

He  was  licensed  to  preach  the  gospel  by  the  Presbytery  of 
South  Carolina,  and  taught  and  preached  a  few  years  in  that 
State,  and  then  removed  with  his  family  to  Jackson  county, 
Georgia,  in  the  year  1818,  and  settled  in  the  bounds  of 
Thyatira  Congregation,  where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his 
life.  Mr.  Harrison  was  ordained  by  Hopewell  Presbytery  as 
an  Evangelist,  at  McDonough,  August  11th,  1828. 

His  ministerial  labors  in  Georgia  were  mainly  confined  to 
the  counties  of  Jackson,  Franklin  and  Hall;  particularly  to 
the  Churches  of  Hebron  and  New  Lebanon,  in  Franklin,  now 
Banks,  county.  In  these  two  Churches  his  labors  will  doubt- 
less be  long  remembered. 

Being  occupied  much  of  his  time  in  laboring  with  his  own 
hands,  on  his  farm  in  Jackson  county,  his  opportunities  were 
rather  limited.  He  often  spoke  of  his  approaching  dissolu- 
tion. Death  did  not  overtake  him  as  a  thief  in  the  night. 
His  departure  was  early  in  January,  1847,  in  the  71st  year 
of  his  age. 

From  Bev.  Wm.  P.  Harrison,  dated 

Knox  Hill,  West  Fla.,  April  20tli,  1864. 

I>r.  John  S.  Wilson — Yours,  asking  a  brief  biograpliical  sketch  of  my 
father,  was  received  a  month  or  two  ago.  1  immediately  communicated 
the  substance  of  your  inquiries  to  my  mother.  The  mails  have  been  slow 
and  irregular.  By  an  oversight,  the  date  of  my  father's  death  was  omit- 
ted. I  think  it  was  the  3d  of  January,  1847.  Before  his  death  he  had 
destroyed  nearly  all  his  old  manuscripts,  thereby  indicating  that  he  had 
no  desire  for  posthumous  notoriety.  In  any  future  record  or  publication 
concerning  the  dead,  there  are  other  names  among  the  former  Presby- 
terian ministers  of  Georgia  that  will  claim,  and  doubtless  occupy  a  wider 
space,  and  require  more  details. 

Yours,  in  the  gospel  of  Christ, 

W.  P.  HARRISON. 


REV.   RICHARD   HOOKER.* 


Richard  Hooker  was  born  in  Springfield,  Massachusetts, 
on  the  10th  of  April,  1808.  He  was  of  an  honored  and 
pious  ancestry,  being  of  the  sev^enth  generation  in  direct 
descent  from  Thomas  Hooker,  that  eminent  divine  who  was 
the  first  minister  of  Hartford,  Connecticut. f  No  man  in 
the  early  history  of  the  New  England  Churches,  had 
probably  a  wider  fame,  or  a  more  beneficent  influence, 
than  this  leader  of  the  Colony  who  left  Boston  in  June, 
1636,  to  establish  their  new  home  on  the  banks  of  the  Con- 
necticut. The  whole  company  of  these  emigrants  were  of 
the  most  valued  and  excellent  citizens  of  the  Massachusetts 
Colony;  but,  in  every  respect,  he  was  the  acknowledged 
head,  and  no  one  whom  he  left  behind  in  the  older  home  was 
his  superior,  if  indeed  his  equal.  Like  so  many  of  the  noble 
men  of  those  times,  after  accomplishing  his  appointed  work 
during  his  own  life-time,  he  handed  down  a  name  full  of 
honor,  and  a  character  full  of  integrity  and  worth  to  his 
children,  and  his  children's  children.  The  covenant  promise 
of  God  was  fulfilled  in  his  case ;  and  from  generation  to 
generation,  the  descendants  of  this  founder  of  the  family  in 
our  country  were  distinguished  for  uprightness  and  useful- 
ness, for  Christian  piety,  and  good  deeds  in  every  line.    The 

*  MSS.  from  Mrs.  Hooker,  of  New  Haven,  Connecticut. 

f  Rev.  Thomas  Hooker  was  a  preacher  at  Chilmsford,  Ehgland,  and 
was  silenced  for  non-conformity,  and  obliged  to  flee  to  Holland.  He 
was  invited  to  come  to  America.  He  settled  at  Newton,  now  Cambridge, 
Massachusetts.  He  was  a  man  of  eminent  pulpit  talents.  About  the 
begiuaiug  of  June,  1636,  he,  with  an  hundred  men,  women  and  children, 
left  Newton,  and  traveled  with  the  greatest  difficulty  over  an  hundred 
miles  of  trackless  wilderness,  to  Hartford.  They  drove  about  160  cattle, 
which  afforded  them  sustenance,  and  carried  their  arms  and  utensils. 
They  were  about  a  fortnight  in  the  wilderness. — Marsh  Ecd.  Hist. 

149 


150  NECROLOGY. 


grandfather  of  the  subject  of  this  brief  sketch,  was  Rev.  John 
Hooker,  who  was  the  successor  of  the  great  Jonathan 
Edwards  as  pastor  of  the  first  Church  in  Northampton,  Mass., 
and  who  fulfilled  a  ministry  of  twenty-four  years  there,  with 
faithfulness  and  acceptance  to  all.  The  son  of  this  North- 
ampton clergyman,  and  father  of  Richard  Hooker,  was  the 
Hon.  John  Hooker,  a  Judge  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas 
for  the  Western  District  of  Massachusetts.  He  resided  at 
Springfield,  where  he  always  held  the  foremost  position  in 
society,  both  as  a  man  of  strong  mental  power  and  of  elevated 
religious  character.  He  was  earnest  in  every  good  word  and 
work,  active  in  the  Church  of  Christ,  and  an  example  of 
purity,  and  worth,  and  dignity,  and  the  noble  bearing  of 
former  times  in  his  relations  to  society ;  and  one  of  the  first 
in  this  country  to  urge  forward  the  work  of  sending  the 
gospel  to  heathen  lands.  In  1810,  he  became,  with  a  few 
others,  a  founder  of  the  American  Board  of  Commissioners 
for  Foreign  Missions,  and  ever,  to  the  end  of  his  life,  he  was 
one  of  its  most  able  and  efficient  members.  He  married  Sarah, 
the  daughter  of  Col.  Josiah  Dwight,  of  Springfield,  a  lady 
who,  in  mind  and  character,  was  like  himself,  and  who  to  old 
age  was  reverenced,  not  only  by  her  own  family,  but  by  all 
who  knew  her.  This  worthy  couple  were  the  parents  of  ten 
children,  of  whom  the  youngest  was  the  one,  a  short  record 
of  whose  career  is  now  to  be  presented. 

Inheriting  thus,  from  all  the  preceding  generations,  the 
most  excellent  traits,  and  being  trained  in  a  family  whose 
high  moral  tone,  earnest  religious  life,  and  uncommon  culti- 
vation and  refinement,  were  conspicuous  to  every  observer, 
Richard  Hooker  grew  up,  through  his  childhood,  a  guileless, 
delicate,  and  conscientious  boy.  His  mind,  in  those  early 
years,  was  bright  and  active.  His  physical  activity  was 
very  great,  and  he  was  even  noted  among  his  companions 
for  the  spirit  and  agility  with  which  he  engaged  in  all  out  of 
door  and  athletic  sports  and  exercises.     His  preparation  for 


REV.    RICHARD    HOOKER.  151 

college  was  carried  forward  mainly  in  the  schools  in  the 
neighborhood  of  his  home,  at  Monson  and  Northampton  ;  at 
both  of  which  places,  he  took  rank  among  the  first  in  scholar- 
ship and  excellence  of  deportment  and  of  character.  At  the 
age  of  fifteen,  he  entered  Yale  College,  where  he  was  grad- 
uated with  high  honors  in  the  class  of  1827. 

During  his  collegiate  course  it  was,  that  his  attention  was 
first  seriously  given  to  the  subject  of  religion.  He  became 
interested  at  a  time  of  revival,  in  the  latter  part  of  his  junior 
year ;  and  after  a  deep  experience  of  the  power  of  truth,  he 
united  with  the  College  Church  in  August,  1826. 

But  little  is  known  of  the  four  years  he  spent  in  New 
Haven  at  that  time,  except  that  he  still  displayed  the  char- 
acteristics of  his  boyhood,  and  likewise  manifested  such 
power  of  mind  as  gave  promise  of  future  success  and 
usefulness. 

His  health  had  become  seriously  impaired  while  he  was  a 
Senior  in  College,  so  that  after  his  graduation,  it  was  deemed 
prudent  for  him  to  spend  the  winter  in  a  warmer  climate. 
Accordingly,  he  went  to  the  South,  and  finally  remained 
there  for  some  years,  until  he  was  so  far  recovered  in 
strength,  that  ho  was  enabled  to  commence  a  course  of 
theological  study.  This  was  pursued  in  two  difierent  semi- 
naries— first  in  Princeton,  N.  J.,  and  afterwards  at  Columbia, 
S.  C.  He  had  been  compelled,  even  before  he  left  college, 
by  reason  of  his  impaired  health,  to  abandon  the  thought, 
which  he  had  began  to  entertain  at  the  time  of  his  conversion, 
of  going  into  the  Foreign  Missionary  service.  But  by  the 
time  he  was  ready  to  enter  the  ministry — eleven  years  after 
leaving  New  Haven,  i.  e.,  in  the  year  1838 — it  became 
manifest  that  his  permanently  enfeebled  condition  not  only 
would  not  allow  an  entrance  upon  the  foreign  field,  but  would 
not  even  permit  him  to  labor  in  the  severer  climate  of  his 
native  region.  He,  therefore,  gave  up  all  thought  of  return- 
ing to  his  home,  and  began  his  work  in  Georgia.     Possessed 


152  NECROLOGY. 


of  a  mind  of  a  high  order,  he  might  properly  have  looked 
forward  to  a  large  sphere,  and  to  the  accomplishment  of 
great  things  for  the  good  cause.  But  when  it  seemed  other- 
wise ordered  in  the  providence  of  God,  he  submissively  and 
even  joyfully  accepted  the  work  which  was  offered  him  to  do; 
and  with  an  earnest  and  devoted  soul,  he  began  his  course  in 
a  small  congregation  in  one  of  the  smaller  towns  of  that 
State.  "I  had  marked  out  for  myself,"  he  wrote  to  one  of 
his  brothers,  near  this  time,  "  a  highway  in  life,  but  Provi- 
dence has  thus  far  confined  me  to  by-paths,  and  I  am  content 
to  serve  God  in  any  way  that  He  may  direct."  His  friends 
have  often  wondered  how  he  could  have  borne  up  with  so 
much  of  cheerfulness  and  so  strong  a  heart  as  he  did,  under 
such  disappointments  of  all  his  hopes  and  prospects  as  must 
have  come  over  him  at  the  outset  of  his  life — continually 
hindered  in  all  the  activities  and  efforts  for  which  his  intellect 
and  soul  were  ready,  by  the  limitations  of  bodily  weakness. 
And  equally  have  they  wondered  how  he  'had  courage  to 
undertake  the  labor  necessarily  devolving  on  a  minister  in  a 
region  requiring  much  physical  exertion  and  fatigue,  when 
the  depressing  influence  of  this  weakness  was  daily  resting 
upon  him.  Yet  his  patience  and  fortitude  never  failed  him, 
and  he  went  on  from  day  to  day,  busily  and  willingly  with 
his  many  and  arduous  duties.  His  first  station  was  at  Mt. 
Zion,  Hancock  county,  Ga., "where  he  continued  ftr  three 
years.  Afterwards,  he  removed  to  Monticello,  Jasper  county, 
and  for  two  years  more  he  preached  to  the  congregation  of 
Presbyterians  in  that  place  with  much  satisfaction  to  those 
who  heard  him,  and  with  great  good  results  in  their  moral 
and  religious  education. 

In  the  year  1843,  while  he  was  still  under  the  very  de- 
pressing influence  of  ill  health,  he  was  invited  to  preach  in 
the  Presbyterian  Church  in  Macon,  Georgia.  With  no 
thought  of  remaining  there,  and  no  idea  even  that  he  would 
be  able  to  take  charge  of  the  religious  interests  of  so  large  a 


REV.    RICHARD    HOOKER.  153 

Church,  he  consented  to  supply  the  pulpit  for  a  few  Sabbaths 
only,  and  then  expected  to  return  again  to  his  more  limited 
and  unimportant  field.  But  immediately  upon  the  commence- 
ment of  his  ministrations  in  Macon,  his  power  of  mind  and 
elevation  of  character  were  recognized  by  the  people  there, 
and  he  was  urgently  requested  to  become  the  pastor  of  the 
Church.  He  felt  obliged,  however,  to  decline  the  call,  from 
a  sense  of  his  inability  through  physical  weakness,  to  discharge 
the  duties  which  would  rest  upon  him.  This  negative  answer 
was  communicated  to  the  Church,  but  so  deeply  had  they 
been  impressed  with  the  conviction  that  he  was  the  man  for 
the  place,  that  they  renewed  their  .invitation  with  even  more 
earnestness  than  at  first,  and  offered  him,  in  consideration  of 
his  feeble  health,  a  vacation  of  three  months  during  the 
summer  season,  so  that  he  might  enjoy  the  cooler  climate  of 
the  Northern  States.  This  second  call  overcame  his  refusal, 
and  he  consented,  though  with  much  distrust  of  himself,  to  enter 
upon  the  work;  and  on  the  17th  of  November,  1843,  he  was 
installed,  and  thus  became  the  pastor  of  that  Church. 

Here  he  remained  for  somewhat  more  than  eight  years, 
until  the  spring  of  1852,  when,  having  resigned  his  place,  he 
returned  to  the  North  to  spend  the  remainder  of  his  life.  Of 
his  work  in  Macon  it  is  scarcely  necessary  to  speak,  since  his 
memory  is  cherished  in  the  hearts  of  many  there,  who  are 
able  from  their  own  experience  to  testify  of  his  ability  as  a 
preacher — of  his  faithfulness  as  a  pastor — of  his  diligence  in 
the  discharge  of  every  duty — of  his  interest  in  the  public 
welfare — of  his  worth  in  friendship  and  in  every  social  rela- 
tion— and  of  his  pure  and  heavenly  minded  piety.  Suffice  it 
to  say,  that  the  Church  grew  in  strength  steadily  under  his 
care ;  that  many  were  added  to  its  numbers  who  were  led  by 
him  to  the  new  life,  and  thus  became  the  seals  of  his  ministry ; 
that  he  gained  the  high  respeet  of  every  one  in  the  commu- 
nity, and  that  when  he  was  led  to  give  up  his  position,  his 
departure  was  a  cause  of  deep  regret  to  great  numbers. 


154  NECROLOGY. 


On  the  15th  of  July,  1846 — three  years  after  his  settle- 
ment in  Macon — he  married  Aurelia,  the  second  daughter  of 
James  Dwight,  Esq.,  of  New  Haven,  Conn.,  and  a  grand- 
daughter of  the  late  President  Dwight,  of  Yale  College  ;  and 
on  the  3d  of  September,  1849,  he  had  a  son  born — his  only 
child — who  received  the  name  of  Thomas  Hooker,  in  remem- 
brance of  the  earliest  founder  of  the  family  in  America.  The 
fact  that  his  wife's  home  in  former  years  had  been  there, 
led  him  to  select  New  Haven  as  his  new  place  of  residence, 
and  as  his  condition  of  health  was  such  as  to  make  a  perma- 
nent settlement  impracticable,  he  continued  in  that  city 
during  the  years  that  followed.  He  did  not,  however,  become 
unable  to  take  full  charge  of  a  Church,  give  up  all  work  in 
his  profession,  but  on  almost  every  Sabbath  he  preached  in 
some  vacant  pulpit  in  the  neighborhood.  He  supplied  several 
different  Churches  for  periods  of  three  and  six  months,  or 
more,  and  for  quite  a  long  time  he  ministered  in  this  way  to 
the  Second  Church  in  Dudham,  Conn.,  a  small  town  about 
fifteen  miles  from  his  home,  where  the  people  became  warmly 
attached  to  him,  and  to  this  day  remember  him  with  the  great- 
est respect  and  affection.  In  New  Haven  Mr.  Hooker  met 
many  congenial  friends,  in  whose  society  he  had  much  enjoy- 
ment; and  he  also  found  himself  in  the  possession  of  those 
literary  privileges  which  belong  to  a  University  town  of  so 
much  celebrity — privileges  which,  by  a  mind  and  character 
like  his,  were,  of  course,  highly  prized. 

Thus,  for  more  than  five  years — surrounded  by  his  own  and 
his  wife's  relations  and  friends — in  the  midst  of  a  cultivated 
and  refined  society — with  the  rich  enjoyment  of  a  happy 
home — and  engaged,  as  be  had  opportunity,  in  the  work  to 
which  he  had  given  his  whole  life,  as  well  as  his  heart's 
warmest  affections,  he  lived  on  quietly  and  peacefully,  until, 
in  December,  1857,  the  end  came.  His  health  had  failed 
more  manifestly  within  the  last  few  months  next  preceding 
the  time  of  his  death,  but  still  he  had  been  able  to  engage  in 


REV.    RICHARD   HOOKER.  155 

all  his  accustomed  duties,  and  had  preached  regularly  from 
Sabbath  to  Sabbath,  almost  without  any  exception.  About 
the  first  of  December,  through  some  exposure  xluring  his 
weekly  journey  to  Dudham,  he  was  more  seriously  affected 
by  sickness  than  he  had  been,  and  gradually  began  to  sink 
away.  Yet  it  was  not  until  three  days  before  his  death  that 
his  symptoms  became  so  alarming  as  to  make  either  himself 
or  his  friends  greatly  apprehensive  in  relation  to  the  termi- 
nation of  his  illness.  He  met  the  announcement  of  the 
approach  of  the  end  with  entire  self-command  and  perfect 
peace — made  every  arrangement  in  regard  to  his  affairs,  and 
even  his  funeral  service,  with  the  utmost  calmness,  and  com- 
mitted himself  to  God  with  an  unwavering  confidence  in  the 
promises  and  in  the  covenant  of  His  love.  He  waited  for  the 
end  with  patience,  looking  forward  to  the  joy  beyond.  He 
waited  for  it  even  with  thankfulness,  feeling  that  when  it 
came  it  would  brin^  a  blessed  release  from  all  the  weakness 
and  we:irisomeness  which  had  so  long  been  his  portion,  and 
under  the  burden  of  which  he  had  been  compelled  for  years 
to  keep  up  heart  and  hope  in  his  laborious  work. 

On  the  morning  of  the  19th  of  December,  1857,  just  as  the 
sun  rose  almost  with  the  softness  and  beauty  of  a  summer's 
day,  he*  passed  away  to  his  rest,  leaving  the  assurance  of 
hope  to  those  who  survived  him — '*  An  Israelite,  indeed,  in 
whom  was  no  guile."  He  handed  to  the  generations  follow- 
ing him,  the  honored  name  of  the  long  line  of  ancestors  who 
had  gone  before  not- only  undiminished  in  its  glory,  but  even 
adorned  by  the  record  of  one  of  the  purest  and  most  holy  lives 
that  were  ever  lived. 

The  intellectual  powers  of  Mr.  Hooker  were  of  no  ordinary 
character.  His  mind  was  one  of  great  clearness.  He  readily 
seized  upon  all  truth  as  it  opened  to  his  view,  and  made  it 
so  thoroughly  his  own  that  he  was  enabled  to  Communicate  it 
to  others  forcibly  and  distinctly.  His  pulpit  efforts  were 
marked  in  this  regard;  and  no  one  who  sat  under  his  minis- 


156  NECROLOGY. 


tratiotis  of  the  Divine  Word  could  fail  to  be  thoroughly 
instructed  in  all  the  doctrines  of  the  gospel,  as  well  as  in  the 
simple,  easy  way  of  salvation  for  the  soul  through  Christ. 
Gifted  by  nature  with  a  strong  memory,  and  with  the  power 
of  grasping  the  chief  points  of  the  writings  of  others,  he  had 
an  uncommon  and  most  valuable  mastery  of  all  he  had  read. 
He  thus  made  the  thoughts  and  reasonings  of  others  to  con- 
tribute, so  far  as  they  should,  and  in  the  best  way,  to  his  own 
wants,  and  constantly  strengthened  his  mind  by  judicious 
reading  and  study. 

But  he  was  a  man  who  thought  for  himself.  Independent 
in  his  own  views  of  truth,  and  with  a  well-balanced  judgment, 
he  approached  every  subject  for  himself,  and  unhesitatingly 
cast  aside  what  others  presented  to  him,  in  case  he  regarded 
it  as  worthless  or  erx'oneous.  He  was  a  man  of  fair,  though 
rot  of  extraordinary  powers  of  imagination—  enough,  indeed, 
to  render  his  writings  interesting  and  attractive,  yet  not  so 
much  as  to  make  them  of  exuberant  richness  in  this  regard. 
His  taste  was  excellent.  At  a  time  when  ministers  so  often 
fail  in  respect  to  this  most  important  matter,  he  was  an 
example  and  a  model.  He  was  equally  excellent  in  judgment. 
Calmly  and  dispassionately  weighing  all  subjects  that  were 
presented  before  him,  he  was  a  man  whom  friends  would 
resort  to  for  advice  with  confidence,  and  upon  whose  decision 
they  would  rest.  A  strong  mind  he  had — remarkably  under 
his  own  control,  and  at  his  service  at  all  times — a  mind  also 
cultivated  by  scholarship  both  in  the  fields  of  ancient  and 
modern  literature.  Indeed,  his  strength  and  cultivation  of 
mind  were  such  as  to  strike  all  who  knew  him,  and  it  is 
believed  that  no  one  among  the  literary  gentlemen  of  various 
departments,  who  met  him  during  his  residence  near  Yale 
College,  failed  to  regard  him  as  a  man  of  real  power  and 
worthy  of  the  highest  respect. 

It  was  his  custom,  for  many  years,  to  preach  his  sermons 
without  writing  them ;   but  so  carefully  had  he  trained  his 


RET.    RICHARD  HOOKER.  157 

mind,  so  completely  did  he  have  all  his  powers  at  commandy 
that  his  spoken  discourses  were  like  written  ones.  And 
when  he  came  to  write  them  down  on  the  Monday  after  they 
had  been  preached,  they  were  written  exactly  as  they  ha<i 
been  delivered  on  the  day  before.  Few  men,  as  we  suppose, 
have  this  particular  power  to  so  large  an  extent. 

It  ought  to  be  remarked,  also,  that  Mr.  Hooker  was  a  man 
of  liberality  in  his  views.  Trained  in  the  strictness  of  the 
orthodox  faith,  and  in  the  strictness  of  the  morality  of  New 
England,  he  carried  into  his  manhood  and  mature  life  the 
influence  of  his  early  education.  As  he  was  led  to  the 
investigation  of  the  important  subjects  of  morality  and 
religion  for  himself,  he  strengthened,  by  his  own  personal 
convictions,  the  views  which  had  been  taught  him  in  child- 
hood. But  while  he  held  firmly  and  unwaveringly  to  the 
truth,  his  was  too  broad  a  mind  to  be  bound  down  to  the 
mere  partisan  system  of  any  narrow  school  of  theologians, 
and  he  was  not  content  to  believe  that  the  world  would  never 
grow  in  knowledge  and  wisdom.  He  had  faith  in  progress. 
He  was  willing  to  wait  for  the  light,  and  to  believe  in  it 
when  it  came.  He  was  large-minded  enough  to  give  proper 
respect  to  those  who  difl^ered  with  him,  or  who  had  been 
educated  in  a  different  way.  He  had  much  of  the  charity 
that  hopeth  all  things  of  other  men.  He  was  a  man  of  well- 
rounded  intellect — with  no  great  and  marked  deficiency,  or 
excess  in  any  one  direction  as  compared  with  other  directions. 
He  was  active,  industrious,  earnest,  serious,  conscientious,  in 
all  his  mental  working;  and  in  those  exhibitions  of  his  intel- 
lectual power  in  which  he  came  before  the  public — namely, 
in  his  sermons  and  public  addresses — he  is  believed  to  have 
had  few  equals  and  no  superiors  among  his  associates  in  the 
ministry. 

Mr.  Hooker  was  a  man  of  great  reserve  of  character.  His 
own  inner  experience  was  a  very  deep  and  a  very  rich  one, 
but  he  shrank   instinctively  from,  displaying  it  to  others. 


158  NECROLOGY. 


The  great  struggle  of  life  went  on  within  him,  but  it  was  too 
solemn  and  sacred  a  thing  to  be  opened  fully  to  any  one  in 
the  world.  Yet,  notwithstanding  this  reserve,  the  members 
of  his  own  family  and  his  immediate  friends  saw  no  lack  of 
tender  and  kindly  feeling  for  others  in  his  soul.  They  found 
him  a  generous  and  affectionate  friend,  not  believing  in  the 
fitness  or  usefulness  of  too  much  praise,  and  yet  not  unwilling 
that  they  should  have  his  approbation,  when  it  would  truly 
do  them  good.  Generosity  in  the  way  of  kindness  and  the 
distribution  of  money,  was  characteristic,  belonging  to  him 
more  than  the  most  of  men.  There  was  nothing  little  or 
mdan  in  his  nature.  Long  burdened  with  trying  ill  health, 
he  was  compelled  to  think  much  of  his  own  condition,  and 
have  a  continual  care  for  his  own  welfare.  But,  notwith- 
standing all  the  tendencies  and  influences  connected  with 
such  protracted  illness,  he  was  not  bound  up  in  himself;  he 
was,  every  one  knew,  a  large-hearted  and  unselfish  man. 

Earnestness  was  also  a  prominent  trait  in  his  character. 
He  looked  upon  life  as  having  a  deep  meaning,  and  gave 
himself  to  his  great  work  with  the  devotion  and  energy  of  a 
soul  that  has  been  enlightened  by  the  thoughts  of  another 
world,  or  the  vision  of  the  endless  future.  Faithfulness  was 
the  great  thing  he  sought  after — faithfulness  to  his  fellow- 
men  for  whom  he  labored,  and  faithfulness  to  the  Master 
whose  embassador  he  was.  And  he  proved  this  faithfulness 
by  his  life-long  struggle  to  do  the  work,  amid  all  hindrances 
and  discouragements  which  must  have  attended  such  a  course 
as  his.  If  the  words  "well  done"  were  ever  spoken  to  a  soul 
at  the  end,  they  were  surely  spoken  to  him. 

As  a  Christian,  Mr.  Hooker  was  sincere,  humble,  full  of 
faith  in  Christ,  continuing  instant  in  prayer.  No  person 
could  come  into  his  society  for  a  passing  hour,  without  seeing, 
at  once  that  he  was  a  man  of  true  piety  and  holiness ;  while 
those  who  were  with  him  from  year  to  year,  in  the  constant 
intercourse  of  friendship,  or  the  family  only,  saw  the  ever 


REV.    RICHARD   HOOKER.  159 

growing  and  most  impressive  evidence  that  his  inmost  life 
was  hidden  with  Christ  in  God.  It  was  the  universal  testi- 
mony of  those  who  knew  him  best,  that  he  was,  beyond  almost 
any  other  man  they  had  ever  seen,  above  reproach — that  he 
was  a  Christian,  if  there  be  any  such  thing  as  Christian 
character  in  the  world ;  and  that  he  was  surely  moving, 
through  all  the  course  of  his  mature  life,  toward  the  kingdom 
of  heaven,  if  the  great  and  glorious  promises  have  any 
meaning — those  promises  which  come  to  faith,  and  meekness, 
and  patience,  and  godliness,  and  brotherly  kindness  and 
charity — which  come  to  the  simple,  earnest,  self-denying, 
self-sacrificing,  laborious  servant  of  Christ — which  come  to 
those  who  love  God  with  all  the  heart,  and  rely  upon  the 
merits  of  the  Saviour's  atoning  blood  with  an  immovable  and 
undying  confidence.  "  Mark  the  perfect  man  and  behold 
the  upright,  for  the  end  of  that  man  is  peace." 

A  few  words  are  added,  as  giving  the  testimony  of  many 
others  in  regard  to  Mr.  Hooker's  character  and  mental 
powers.  One  who  knew  him  well  from  his  early  years,  says : 
"  He  was  remarkably  clear  in  his  views  of  truth,  and  very 
rich  was  his  conversation  upon  them  with  his  intimate  friends, 
both  of  the  clergy  and  laity.  He  was  not  at  all  fond  of 
theorizing,  and  was  very  cautious  in  separating  established 
truth  from  mere  supposition,  considering  this  to  be  a  sacred 
duty,  especially  in  the  theologian."  The  same  person  also 
remarks,  in  respect  to  his  preaching :  "  The  preaching  of 
Mr.  Hooker  was  of  a  high  order,  characterized  by  great 
breadth  and  clearness  of  views,  elevation  and  purity  of 
thought,  and  above  all,  by  undoubted  sincerity  and  deep 
devotion.  The  same  qualities  were  manifest  in  his  conver- 
sation. Those  who  had  the  privilege  of  acquaintance  with 
him,  remember  with  great  pleasure  the  quiet  but  firm  way  in 
which  he  expressed  his  views  so  clearly  on  all  subjects  on 
which  he  spoke,  and  the  heavenly  savor  which  pervaded  all 
his  social  intercourse." 


160  NECROLOGY. 


Another  gentleman,  who  knew  him  intimately,  and  who  is 
recognized  by  all  as  a  person  of  excellent  judgment  and 
great  intelligence,  saj-s  of  him :  "  His  predominant  mental 
exercises  were  meditative.  He  apprehended  truth  with 
readiness,  because  his  mind  was  accustomed  to  truthfulness 
in  everything.  Like  a  polished  surface,  it  reflected  truly 
what  it  reflected  at  all.  While  he  was  unyielding  in  matters 
of  principle  and  conscience,  he  was  strikingly  free  from 
dogmatism  and  apinionativeness.  ,  I  never  heard  him  preach 
more  than  half  a  dozen  times,  that  I  remember ;  but  the 
impression  made  upon  my  mind,  both  by  matter  and  manner, 
is  indelible.  His  voice  was  by  no  means  strong,  and  his 
manner  was  somewhat  constrained;  but  there  was  a  solemnity 
and  sincerity  about  the  whole  pulpit  service  which  gave  it  a 
peculiar  charm.  His  way  of  conducting  devotional  exercises 
was  remarkably  expressive  of  humility,  affection,  and  profound 
reverence.  There  was  a  familiarity  which  betokened  a  child- 
like faith.  The  most  common  blessings  were  made  to  appear 
valuable  by  the  very  manner  of  his  asking  for  them.  No 
words  seemed  to  be  used  for  effect,  nor  without  the  answering 
emotion  of  the  heart.  Slow,  distinct,  and  simple,  his  utter- 
ances seemed  to  be  the  expression  of  the  soul's  inmost  desires. 

"  I  have  thought  that  many  of  his  characteristics  were  not 
unlike  those  of  Henry  Martyn.  Mr.  Hooker's  frequent 
indisposition,  perhaps,  gave  an  air  of  sadness  to  his  counte- 
nance and  manner,  such  as  I  have  t];iought  Martyn's  letters 
and  journal  indicate  as  belonging  to  him.  But  there  was  a 
vein  of  cheerfulness  rurining  through  the  temperament  of 
both,  which  reveals  a  common  source  of  peace  and  joy,  with 
which  the  stranger  intermeddles  not.  His  sermons  were 
evidently  the  production  of  a  mind  deeply  impressed  with 
the  reality  and  infinite  momentousness  of  the  truths  they  set 
forth.  If  any  man  ever  carried  into  the  pulpit,  in  his 
expression  and  demeanor,  a  sense  of  the  solemnity  and 
responsibleness   of  the   oflfice   of   a  minister   of    the   New 


REV.    RICHARD    HOOKER.  161 

Testament,  it  was  Richard  Hooker.  It  cannot  be  doubted 
that  many,  very  many,  souls  were  converted  through  his 
quiet,  but  earnest  and  devout  ministry." 

A  distinguished  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in 
Macon,  Georgia,  the  Hon.  E.  A.  Nisbit,  thus  describes  him : 
"Mr.  Hooker  was  an  excellent  scholar — indeed,  distinguished 
for  solid  as  well  as  polite  acquirements.  No  one  appreciated 
more  highly,  or  enjoyed  with  a  keener  relish,  the  good  things 
of  literature ;  whilst,  more  than  most  men,  he  was  intolerant 
of  either  bad,  or  light,  or  arrogant  books.  His  taste  in 
letters  was  refined  and  severely  accurate.  Those  who  were 
admitted  to  his  companionship,  found  him  familiar  with  most 
topics  of  general  knowledge — an  unsparing,  but  not  malio-nant 
critic — suggestive  and  genial.  He  was  averse  to  parade 
in  all  things,  and  carefully  avoided  any  display  of  his 
learning — content  to  enjoy  his  own  resources  in  his  own  way, 
and  to  use  them  whenever  duty  made  it  necessary. 

"  In  the  judicatories  of  the  Church,  he  rarely  participated 
in  discussion ;  but  when  he  did  speak,  his  remarks  were 
clear,  concise,  and  to  the  point.  Strangers  supposed  he  was 
wanting  in  self-reliance ;  but,  in  fact,  he  was  an  independent 
thinker — morally  courageous,  without  obstinacy  and  without 
vanity.  So,  also,  he  was  considered,  by  those  who  did  not 
know  him  well,  as  cold  and  reserved.  His  mode  of  inter- 
course was  somewhat  reserved,  or  rather  undemonstrative, 
among  strangers  and  in  mixed  companies.  This  was  owing 
to  his  modesty,  his  disrelish  of  ostentation,  and  to  the  influ- 
ence of  a  habit  which  originated  in  the  suflerings  and  anxieties 
of  infirm  health.  For  many  years  before  his  death,  he  was 
to  a  considerable  extent,  an  invalid.  He  was,  therefore^ 
destitute  of  that  physical  vigor  which  originates  and  sustains 
buoyant  spirits.  Cold  he  was  not ;  his  intimate  friends  knew 
that  his  attachments  were  warm  and  strong,  his  spirits 
generous  and  free,  and  his  domestic  habits,  as  well  as  aflfec- 
tions,  exceedingly  tender.  Of  himself,  his  trials,  hopes, 
11 


f62f  NECROLOGY. 


triumphs  and  disappointments,  he  was  not  wont  to  speak. 
Even  as  to  his  personal  experiences  as  a  Christian,  he  may 
be  said  to  have  been  reticent.  His  personal  relations  to  God 
he  seemed  to  think  a  matter  too  awfully  delicate  to  be  sub- 
mitted to  the  consideration  of  men.  As  to  the  religious 
experiences  of  the  heart,  God  was  his  confidant.  Acutely 
sensible  to  the  woes  and  wants  of  humanity,  his  love  for  man 
in  general  was  ardent ;  and  he  gave  expression  to  it  in  his 
prayers,  his  alms-deeds,  his  enlightened  support  of  the 
benevolent  enterprises  of  the  Church,  and  in  the  faithfulness 
and  power  of  his  ministry. 

"At  his  own  fireside,  and  beneath  the  roof  of  near  friends, 
his  reserve  gave  way,  and  the  affectionateness  of  his  heart 
came  out  in  quiet,  gentle  talk,  and  in  sportive  attention  to 
children 

"  The  prominent  traits  in  his  Christian  character  were 
humility,  faith,  and  prayerfulness.  Before  the  cross,  Mr. 
Hooker  appeared  to  feel  that  he  was  wholly  unworthy — the 
least  of  all  saints.  His  whole  life  appeared  an  effor{  to 
magnify  grace  through  his  personal  abasement.  His  faith 
never  relaxed  its  grasp  upon  the  doctrines  and  promises  of 
the  gospel.  He  became  steadfast  through  faith,  wholly 
impassive  to  any  teachings  from  any  quarter  that  in  the 
slightest  degree  impugned  the  truth  as  it  is  written  in  the 
Bible.  Prayer  was  his  vital  breath.  The  habit  of  his  nature 
was  prayerfulness.  His  very  being  became  a  prayer.  The 
members  of  his  Church  remember  well  the  humility,  appro- 
priateness, and  appealing  fervor  of  his  public  prayers. 

"Whilst  pastor  of  the  Church  in  Macon,  he  allowed 
nothing  to  divert  him  from  the  duties  of  his  charge.  He 
rarely  left  his  people,  except  when,  according  to  an  original 
stipulation,  he  left  to  recruit  his  health.  All  other  duties  of 
Ms  position  he  made  subordinate  to  those  which,  as  shepherd, 
he  owed  to  his  flock,  and  verily  he  made  them  to  lie  down  in 
;green  pastures,  and  led  them  by  the  side  of  still  waters. 


REV.   BICHARD   HOOKER.  168 

With  remarkable  fidelity  he  fed  the  lambs  of  the  fold,  and 
with  careful  industry  he  watched  over  the  temporal  as  well 
as  spiritual  interests  of  the  poor.  The  cross  was  found  in 
all  his  sermons — directly  and  indirectly,  that  was  sure  to 
appear.  His  manner  was  earnest,  without  being  impassioned 
— his  argumentation  close  and  logical,  and  his  style  simple 
and  pure.  He  loved  the  Anglo-Saxon  portion  of  the  language, 
and  so  perfect  were  his  spoken  sermons  in  all  rhetorical 
elements,  that  they  might,  with  safety  to  his  reputation, 
have  been  published  as  they  came  from  his  lips. 

"  Looking  back  upon  Mr.  Hooker's  residence  in  Macon, 
and  in  contemplation  of  the  many  virtues  that  adorned  his 
character  as  a  man,  and  the  many  excellencies  that  marked 
him  as  a  minister,  we  adopt  the  language  of  the  prophet,  and 
exclaim,  '  How  beautiful  upon  the  mountains  are  the  feet  of 
him  that  bringeth  good  tidings,  that  publisheth  peace,  that 
bringeth  good  tidings  of  good,  that  publisheth  salvation,  that 
Baith  unto  Zion,  thy  God  reigneth.'  " 

The  writer  of  this  brief  notice  of  the  life  of  this  honored 
minister  of  the  gospel,  would  only  add  in  closing,  that  as 
these  testimonies  which  have  been  quoted  all  unite  in  one 
harmonious  commendation  of  his  many  virtues  and  noble 
character ;  so  numerous  other  testimonies  of  a  similar  char- 
acter might  be  gathered  from  different  sources.  The  writer 
has  met  many  strangers  who,  as  conversation  accidentally 
turned  upon  the  subject  of  some  Church  where  Mr.  Hooker 
had  preached,  or  some  work  in  which  he  had  been  engaged, 
immediately  on  hearing  his  name,  said,  "  Richard  Hooker 
was,  indeed,  a  good  man."  And  it  is  believed  that  few  men 
have  ever  lived,  of  whom  these  words  could  more  fitly  be 
spoken.  The  inheritance  of  the  saints  in  light  is  his,  as  we 
cannot  doubt,  for  he  was  truly  a  saint  of  God.  He  entered 
upon  the  unknown  future  in  perfect  confidence  that  there 
was  for  him  a  place  in  the  Father's  house,  resting  upon  those 


164  NECROLOGY. 


blessed  words  of  assurance  from  Jesus  himself,  "  If  it  were 
not  so,  I  would  have  told  you."  And  to-day  we  believe  he 
is  among  the  great  and  glorious  company  who  are  led  to  the 
living  fountains  of  waters,  and  from  whose  eyes  all  tears  are 
forever  wiped  away. 


.  *'<*|tl,tVfl  ,i-*«. 


REV.  JOHN"  C.  HUMPHREY  * 


John  C.  Humphrey  was  the  son  of  William  and  Susan 
(Woodward)  Humphrey,  and  was  born  in  Darien,  Genesee 
county,  New  York,  July  3,  1829.  His  father  was  of  English 
descent,  but  was  a  native  of  America.  He  was  a  farmer. 
The  parents  of  Mr.  Humphrey  were  members  of  the  Old 
School  Presbyterian  Church,  and  were  very  careful  to  train 
up  their  children  in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord. 
They  had  a  large  family — five  sons  and  four  daughters — of 
whom  the  subject  of  this  memoir  was  the  youngest.  He  lost 
his  father  when  eight  years  of  age,  and  although  so  young, 
yet  the  Christian  precepts  of  his  parent  had  made  a  deep 
and  indelible  impression  on  his  tender  mind.  One  little 
incident  may  be  mentioned,  illustrative  of  the  character  of 
the  father  as  a  man  and  a  Christian,  and  which  served  to 
make  a  lasting  impression  on  the  son.  His  father  had  several 
men  in  his  employ  during  harvest  time,  and  although  in  the 
regular  habit  of  morning  and  evening  prayers  in  the  family, 
yet  one  day,  owing  to  some  absorbing  engagement  which 
brcfke  into  the  regularity  of  the  morning,  the  hour  of  family 
worship  passed  by  unregarded.  But  business  affairs  did  not 
proceed  well — there  was  something  wrong;  the  domestic 
machinery  moved  roughly  ;  there  were  difficulties  in  various 
quarters.  What  was  the  matter  ?  The  master  of  the  house- 
hold bethought  him  that  family  worship  had  been  omitted. 
Forthwith,  about  the  middle  of  the  forenoon,  the  family,  the 
workmen,  and  all,  were  summoned  together ;  the  Bible  was 
read  and  prayer  offered.  After  which,  they  dispersed  to 
their  several  duties  again,  and  things  once  more  moved  on 
smoothly. 

*MSS.  from  Mrs.  Humphrey. — Min.  Synod. 
165 


166  NECROLOGY. 


Although  young  Humphrey  was  then  a  child  of  only  six 
years,  yet  the  circumstance  led  him  properly  to  regard  the 
duty  and  privilege  of  prayer.  The  confidence  which  this  act 
of  his  father  inspired  in  his  young  heart,  was  very  powerfully 
evinced  some  two  years  from  that  time,  and  shortly  after  the 
death  of  his  father.  Ilis  mother,  who  had  conducted  family 
■worship  with  her  children  after  her  sore  bereavement — 
oppressed  by  sorrow  in  her  loneliness,  her  own  health  failing, 
and  the  cares  of  her  numerous  family — at  last  became  so 
dejected,  that  she  called  her  children  together  one  day,  and 
told  them  how  sadly  she  felt,  saying  to  them  she  "  did  not 
know  that  it  was  worth  while  to  continue  family  worship 
longer,  as  she  thought  it  was  all  in  vain,  and  it  seemed  to 
her  that  God  would  not  hear,  if  she  did  pray."  "Little 
Johnnie,"  the  youngest  lamb  of  the  flock,  looked  up  brightly 
and  cheerfully  into  his  desponding  mother's  face,  and  said, 
"Maybe  it  will,  mother."  These  words  were  like  an  electric 
spark  to  that  poor  mother's  heart.  They  immediately  inspired 
her  soul  with  fresh  courage  to  press  on  cheerfully  in  the 
discharge  of  her  responsible  duties.  These  little  incidents 
show  the  religious  influences  which  attended  the  early  years 
of  our  departed  brother,  and  imparted  so  much  firmness  to 
his  Christian  character. 

It  pleased  the  All-wise  God  greatly  to  afflict  that  numerous 
family  in  after  years.  Not  only  the  father,  but  two  brothers 
and  two  sisters,  and  the  mother,  were  speedily  removed  by 
the  hand  of  death.  The  mother,  on  her  death-bed,  when 
she  felt  that  her  end  drew  near,  called  the  remaining  mem- 
bers of  her  household  around  her,  prayed  with,  and  counseled 
them,  and  then  asked  each  one  in  turn  what  course  in  life  he 
or  she  intended  to  pursue.  When  she  came  to  John,  the 
youngest,  she  seemed  to  make  a  great  effort  to  compose 
herself,  when  she  asked  him,  "What  are  you  going  to  do?  " 
He  burst  into  tears,  for  what  could  he,  a  child  of  thirteen 
years,  reply  to  such  a  question?     Immature  in  mind  and 


REV.    JOHN    C.    HUMPEREY.  167 

body,  he  had  formed  no  plans  as  yet  for  future  life. 

But,  although  so  young,  even  then  his  natural  energy  and 
industry  were  conspicuous — in  school  during  the  winter 
season,  and  in  summer  on  the  farm,  where  he  often  accom- 
plished as  much  labor  as  a  full  grown  man  in  the  same  time. 
Yet,  even  then,  he  seems  to  have  been  a  child  of  sorrow,  for 
at  nights  and  on  Sabbaths,  when  left  to  his  own  thoughts,  he 
would  often  retire  into  the  orchard  or  some  lonely  place,  and 
throwing  himself  on  the  ground,  weep  bitterly,  and  wish  that 
he  might  die  and  be  buried  m  the  graveyard  that  lay  just 
beyond  his  dwelling,  where  his  parents  and  brothers  and 
sisters  were  entombed.  He  was  yet  without  the  Christian's 
hope;  he  had  not  yet  learned  to  say  with  Job,  "All  the  days 
of  my  appointed  time  will  I  wait,  till  my  change  come." 
Two  years  after  this  period,  another  brother,  and  shoi'tly 
after,  his  youngest  sister,  to  whom  he  was  greatly  attached, 
were  suddenly  removed  by  death — one  by  fever,  and  the  other 
by  quick  consumption.  Pulmonary  disease  was  hereditary 
in  the  family. 

There  remained  now  only  three  of  that  numerous  family — 
the  eldest  brother,  who  removed  to  Michigan ;  the  only 
surviving  sister,  who  married  Mr.  Danforth,  and  went  out  to 
China  as  a  missionary ;  and  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  now, 
we  believe,  at  rest  in  heaven.  We  trust  that  this  somewhat 
extended  notice  of  the  immediate  family  of  our  deceased 
brother  will  not  be  without  interest  and  profit,  as  showing 
the  ways  of  God  towards  his  own  children.  We  shall  now 
take  up  more  directly  the  history  of  Mr.  Humphrey. 

In  the  autumn  of  1846,  when  seventeen  years  of  age,  he 
determined  to  acquire  a  collegiate  education,  and  for  that 
purpose  he  repaired  to  Alexander,  Genesee  county,  eight 
miles  from  Darien,  his  native  town.  The  institution  located 
in  that  place,  called  Genesee  and  Wyoming  Seminary,  was  a 
mixed  school,  and,  at  that  time,  of  some  twenty-five  years' 
standing,  and  under  the  care  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 


168  NECROLOGY. 


It  was  designed  to  furnish  an  extended  educational  course  to 
both  males  and  females  alike,  who  were  associated  in  the 
same  classes.     At  the  first  public  exhibition  after  he  became 
a  member  of  the  institution,  he  bore  off  the  palm  for  public 
speaking.     The  following  winter,  he  taught  the  village  school 
of  Wyoming,  and  the  next  summer  returned  to  the  institution. 
He  spent  two  years  at  Alexander,   and   prepared  to  enter 
college.     But  at  this  time,  symptoms  of  that  fatal  disease 
which    terminated    his    life,    manifested    themselves.       This 
decided  him  upon  trying  the  effects  of  a  milder  climate.     He 
set  out  for  the  South,  and  arrived   in   Georgia  in  October, 
1848  ;  and  passing  through  the  State,  he  arrived  at  Bellevieu, 
in  Talbot  county,  where  he  stopped.     Here  he  soon  commenced 
a  private  school.     He  remained  in  Georgia  two  winters,  and 
then  returned  North,  hoping  to  be  able  to  finish  his  education. 
During    his   engagement  in  teaching,   he  had  continued  to 
pursue  the  course  of  study,  and  was  now  prepared  to  join 
the  Senior  Class.     He  entered  the  Genesee  College  at  Lima, 
New  York.     But  the  summer  passed,  and  the  cold  autumn 
winds  soon  drove   him  back  to  Georgia,  much  to  his  disap- 
pointment.    He   returned   to   Bellevieu,  where  he  remained 
two  years  longer,  engaged  in  teaching.     It  was  during  his 
residence  at  this  place,  that  his  thoughts  were  more  directly 
turned  to  the  subject  of  personal  religion.     Though  piously 
trained,  and  possessing  such  a  clear  consciousness  of  personal 
obligation  to  serve  God  from  his  earliest  youth,  yet  he  had 
as  yet  made  no  public  profession  of  religion.     This  seems  to 
have  been  instruraentally  brought  about  by  correspondence 
with   the  young  lady  to  whom  he  was  afterwards  united  in 
marriage.     In  the  winter  of  1851  and  1852,  he  made  a  public 
profession   of  religion,    and    united    with   the    Presbyterian 
Church  of  Ephesus,  near  Bellevieu,  then  under  the  pastoral 
care  of  the  Rev.  Frances  McMurray.     The  summer  of  1852 
he  spent  in  New  York   State,  in  feeble  health.     Physicians 
then  told  him  he  could  not  live  a  year.     He  had  symptoms 


REV.    JOHN    C.    HUMPHREY.  169 


of  incipient  consumption — a  slight  hemorrhage — but  thought 
it  was  rather  a  bronchial,  than  a  lung  affection.  After  a 
few  weeks,  there  was  a  decided  improvement  in  his  health. 
He  had  gained  several  pounds  weight  before  returning  South 
in  the  fall.  He  now  went  to  GriflBn,  where  he  conducted  a 
private  school  for  young  men  preparing  for  college.  He 
remained  two  years  at  GrifiBn,  and  in  the  meantime  deter- 
mined to  study  for  the  gospel  ministry,  to  which  holy  office 
he  felt  himself  called  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  In  pursuance  of 
this  determination,  he  entered  the  Theological  Seminary  at 
Columbia,  South  Carolina,  in  the  autumn  of  1854.  In  the 
summer  of  1856,  he  spent  eight  weeks  with  his  friends  at 
Elraa,  Erie  county,  New  York,  and  soon  after  his  return — 
September  10,  1856 — he  was  licensed  to  preach  the  gospel 
of  Christ  at  Ephesus  Church,  Ga.,  where  he  had  professed 
Christ  and  of  which  he  was  yet  a  member,  by  the  Presbytery 
of  Flint  River.  He  immediately  returned  to  Columbia  to 
pursue  his  third  year's  course  of  study. 

In  the  Seminary,  he  had  the  love  and  confidence  of  all 
who  knew  him.  The  Faculty  of  the  Seminary  recommended 
him,  at  the  close  of  his  course,  to  the  Augusta  Church  as  a 
supply,  its  pulpit  being  then  vacant — notwithstanding  the 
importance  and  responsibility  of  the  charge.  After  supply- 
ing that  pulpit  for  a  time,  with  great  acceptance  and  profit 
to  the  people,  his  health  failed,  and  thinking  a  fnore  active 
sphere  of  labor  would  benefit  him,  he  left  Augusta  to  engage 
in  the  work  of  an  evangelist,  to  which  he  was  called,  and  was 
ordained  by  Hopewell  Presbytery  (having  been  previously 
transferred  from  Flint  River  Presbytery)  on  the  first  Sabbath 
in  May,  1858. 

Full  of  zeal,  he  went  out  to  preach,  holding  alone,  and 
with  other  ministers,  protracted  meetings  in  many  places 
within  the  bounds  of  the  Presbytery,  in  most  of  which 
meetings  good  was  done  and  souls  won  to  Christ.  Short  as 
was  his  career,  no  doubt  there  will  be  many  jewels  in  his 


lit)  ^  NECROLOGY. 


crown  of  rejoicing  in  the  day  of  the  Lord  Jesus ;  no  doubt, 
many  will  rise  up  and  call  him  blessed.  In  this  field  he 
labored  a  few  months,  and  until  stricken  down  by  disease — 
when  he  had  to  cease,  and  never  more  engage  in  a  woi-k  he 
loved  so  well,  and  for  which  he  seemed  so  eminently  qualified. 

It  is  an  inscrutable  Providence — we  shall  never  know  till 
we  reach  the  spirit-world — why  such  gifted  and  successful 
young  men  are  so  soon  removed,  and  others,  apparently  less 
useful,  left  to  pass  a  long  life  in  the  vineyard  below.  But 
even  so  is  the  good  pleasure  of  our  Heavenly  Father.  Like 
a  Summerfield,  a  Pollock,  and  many  others,  young  Humphrey 
soon  finished  what  the  Father  had  given  him  to  do,  and  then 
went  up,  at  his  Heavenly  Father's  bidding,  to  his  home  in 
the  skies. 

The  last  year  of  his  life,  he  was  unable  to  preach  at  all. 
He  left  Augusta,  where  he  had  spent  the  winter,  in  March, 
and  arrived  at  Mavilla,  Erie  county.  New  York,  the  20th  of 
April.  During  the  summer,  he  made  a  trip  to  Mackinaw,  to 
visit  his  brother.  Every  known  means  were  used  for  the 
restoration  of  his  health,  but  all  proved  unavailing.  He  had 
the  sentence  of  death  in  him.  On  the  8th  of  September, 
shortly  after  retiring  to  his  chamber  at  night,  he  was  seized 
with  hemorrhage  of  the  lungs,  which  soon  terminated  his 
life.  During  all  his  illness,  in  prospect  of  a  speedy  death, 
he  manifested  perfect  resignation  to  the  will  of  his  Heavenly 
Father,  choosing  rather  to  die  than  live,  if  he  might  not  have 
strength  again  to  preach  the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ. 
At  the  same  time,  he  endeavored  to  comfort  all  around  him. 
To  his  young  wife  he  said,  "  God  Avill  take  care  of  you,  my 
dear  wife."  During  his  last  day  he  conversed  very  little, 
and  the  latter  part  of  the  night,  in  which  he  finished  his 
sufferings,  he  was  not  able  to  utter  a  word ;  yet  he  gave  signs 
that  he  understood  those  around  him,  and  was  conscious  and 
perfectly  composed  in  prospect  of  that  glorious  change  which 
awaited  him. 


REV.    JOHN    C.    HUMPHREY.  171 


At  break  of  day,  September  14,  1859,  an  eternal  day  of 
bliss  dawned  upon  his  ransomed  spirit.  His  body  rests  in 
hope  of  a  blessed  resurrection,  in  the  graveyard  within  sight 
of  his  early  home  in  Darien,  N.  Y. 

Mr.  Humphrey  was  married  to  Miss  Louisa  S.  Jackman, 
Elma,  Erie  county,  N.  Y.,  September  30,  1857. 

The  loss  of  such  a  man  was  no  ordinary  loss.  In  him 
were  sweetly  blended  most  of  the  elements  of  a  minister's 
power  and  success.  He  had  talents  of  a  high  order  ;  but  his 
power  was  that  of  a  man  of  God.  What  he  did,  was  by 
prayer.  His  hearers  always  felt,  when  he  was  before  them, 
that  he  had  been  with  Jesus,  and  they  listened  to  him  almost 
as  one  from  an  unknown  world.  Simple  and  unostentatious 
by  nature,  these  qualities  were  sweetened  at  the  cross.  His 
own  soul  was  alive  with  the  influence  of  grace,  and  he  loved 
to  tell  of  its  wonders  to  others.  Whatever  he  did,  was  for 
God  and  the  salvation  of  sinners,  and  he  was  strong  relying 
on  Him.  Such  an  one  could  fear  no  evil.  Speaking  at  one 
time  of  his  soon  expected  death,  he  was  asked  by  a  brother 
how  he  felt  in  view  of  it."  Calmly ,  he  replied,  as  going 
home,  the  home  of  his  Father  and  Saviour.  Writing  to  a 
brother  minister,  after  he  had  been  laid  aside  by  disease,  he 
said,  "  My  dear  B.,  preach  as  if  you  were  delivering  your 
last  sermon,  standing  upon  your  own  grave,  where  you  will 
soon  lie  down." 

Thus  passed  away  a  young  minister.  Some  three  years  or 
less  he  had  been  in  the  vineyard,  when  he  received  the 
command.  Come  up  higher. 

We  close  this  memorial  in  the  expressive  language  of  the 
Synod :  "  We  mourn  for  the  lost  one  here,  but  with  the 
assured  hope  he  is  at  rest  at  home." 


REV.  JESSE  HUME.* 


We  are  indebted  to  B.  F.  Whitner,  Esq.,  a  venerable 
Elder  of  the  Church  in  Tallahassee,  Florida,  now  no  more, 
for  the  material  of  the  following  memorial  of  the  Rev.  Jesse 
W.  Hume.  We  regret  that  we  have  been  unable  to  procure 
tlie  early  history  of  this  brother.  Mr.  Hume  was  a  man  of 
mark.     He  died  young,  but  his  memory  is  blessed. 

Jesse  W.  Hame  was  a  native  of  Tennessee,  and  a  gradu- 
ate of  the  University  of  Nashville.  He  studied  Theology  at 
Princeton  Seminary,  New  Jersey. 

The  son  of  pious  parents,  and  the  object  of  the  most 
prayerful  training,  he  was  early  converted  to  God,  and 
almost  in  the  infancy  of  youth,  was  he  devoted  to  the  minis- 
try of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

Soon  after  his  entering  upon  the  solemn  duties  of  this 
office,  he  was  called  to  the  united  pastorate  of  the  Churches 
of  Gallatin  and  Shilo.  His  labors  were  abundantly  blessed, 
not  only  to  the  conversion  of  souls  unto  God,  but  to  the 
establishing  among  the  people  of  his  charge,  and  to  a  great 
eAtent  in  the  community  where  his  lot  was  cast,  the  doctrines 
ol   our  faith  and  order. 

His  mind  being  far  matured  at  an  early  age,  when  most 
men's  minds  are  but  just  opening  to  the  influences  of 
tiuth,  and  imbibing  much  of  his  Master's  spirit,  while  he 
was  able  to  lay  doivn^  in  a  Christian  spirit,  the  doctrines  of 
the  cross,  he  was  able  also  to  defend  them  against  the  at- 
tacks of  enemies.  Often  called  upon  to  defend  the  truth 
against  Universalists,  Campbellites  and  other  errorists,  he 
did  it  always  in  the  spirit  of  meekness,  and  at  the  same  time 

*  MSS.  from  B.  F.  Whitner. 
172 


REV.   JESSE   HUME.  173 


with  SO  much  strength,  clearness  and  power,  as  to  confirm 
the  wavering  and  put  to  shame  its  most  virulent  enemies. 

But  unhappily  for  the  Church  of  God,  the  labors  of  his 
too  active  mind,  were  too  great  for  his  frail  body.  Disease 
soon  made  its  appearance  upon  him,  and  marked  him  for  its 
victim.  He  was  compelled  to  seek  a  milder  climate.  His 
people  ardently  attached  to  him,  most  reluctantly  parted 
with  him.  Following  in  the  track  of  other  invalids,  he 
turned  his  face  towards  Florida  in  the  winter  of  1850. 
Though  unable,  and  forbidden  to  preach,  when  he  left  Ten- 
nessee, by  his  physicians,  yet  so  great  was  his  improvement 
in  health,  after  a  short  residence  in  Florida,  that  he  began 
to  speak,  and  was  soon  thereafter  called  to  the  pastorate  of 
the  Church  in  Tallahassee.  Feeling  that  he  had  but  a  few 
short  years  to  live,  he  betook  himself  with  great  assiduity  to 
the  work  of  his  Master,  that  he  might  not  waste  the  last  sands 
of  life.  For  more  than  two  years  did  he  labor  with  the 
greatest  acceptance  to  the  people  of  his  charge  and  the  com- 
munity at  large,  leaving  the  impression  with  every  effort  he 
put  forth  upon  every  mind  that  heard  him,  that  he  was  a  man 
of  no  ordinary  mind,  a  man  of  no  ordinary  attainments,  and 
a  man  of  no  ordinary  piety. 

He  was  acknowledged  by  all  who  knew  him,  and  could 
judge  him,  that  he  possessed  the  best  mind  of  any  man  in 
the  State.  But  so  luminous  a  star  was  not  long  to  shine 
amongst  us.  In  the  spring  of  1853,  his  Master  again  laid 
him  aside.  The  rest  of  his  history  is  well  known  to  all.  In 
the  fall  of  1854,  at  the  age  of  31,  and  in  the  full  triumphs  of 
a  living  faith,  he  went  up  from  the  Church  militant,  to  the 
Church  triumphant,  after  a  ministry  of  something  more  than 
ten  years.  Thus  fell  a  man  who  gave  promise  of  standing 
as  a  Theologian,  a  preacher,  and  a  man  of  piety,  among  the 
first  Doctors  of  the  land. 


174  NECROLOGY. 


FromB.  F.  Whitner,a  Ruling  Elder  of  the  Church  of  Tallahassee^  dated, 

Tallahassee,  March,  1864. 
Rev.  J.  S.  Wilson,  D.D. 

Dear  Sir : — Your  letter  of  the  23cl  December  last,  was  duly  re- 
ceived, but  the  almost  constant  cold  weather,  and  the  infirmities  of  72, 
have  delayed  an  answer,  chieily  as  they  prevented  access  to  Church 
records,  and  I  could  not  trust  a  frail  memory. 

Rev.  Jesse  W.  Hume,  of  Tennessee,  came  to  Tallahassee  in  the  begin- 
ning of  1850  for  the  sake  of  his  own  health,  (bronchinl  disease)  and  as  an 
escort  of  an  older  and  feebler  minister  (Rev.  Mr.  Todd,  of  Kentucky), 
who  died  here  a  few  weeks  after  their  arrival. 

Mr.  Hume  was  interdicted  from  preaching  by  his  physician,  and  pur- 
posely omitted  to  bring  with  him  any  aid  to  enable  or  tempt  him  to  make 
the  effort.  But  he  met  an  old  Theological  fellow-student  here,  and  was 
so  encouraged  by  his  rapid  improvement  that  he  preached  to  us  one  ser- 
mon, and  made  a  few  short  exhortations  at  prayer-meetings,  and  after  a 
few  weeks  hurried  back  to  Tennessee. 

Our  Church  very  soon  after  became  vacant,  unexpectedly,  and  our 
thoughts,  with  great  unanimity,  were  directed  to  Mr.  Hume.  His  health 
again  failed,  and  the  very  week  before  he  received  our  letter,  he  was 
again  unable  to  speak  in  the  pulpit ;  and  with  the  Doctors  advice  and 
other  friends,  determined  to  arrange  for  removing  to  Florida.  He  accord- 
ingly arrived  at  Tallahassee,  in  October,  1850. 

In  the  spring  of  1851,  he  united  with  the  Presbytery  of  Fl6rida,and  be- 
came the  pastor  of  our  Church.  But  his  zeal  constantly  over-taxed  his 
physical  powers^a  feeble  body,  and  yet  ready  to  undertake  the  labors  of 
a  Whitfield.  He  had  sickness  in  his  familj',  and  lost  a  lovely  little 
daughter,  and  Mrs.  H.  became  anxious  to  get  back  to  her  mother,  then 
resident  in  Tennessee.  He  refused  a  respite  from  his  labors,  which  we 
offered  him  for  the  ensuing  summer,  and  chose  to  have  his  pastoral  rela- 
tions dissolved.  Our  pulpit  continued  supplied  for  awhile,  but  wasfinallj^ 
declared  vacant  by  Presbytery.  We  could  not  oppose,  though  we  could 
not  join  in  requesting  such  action. 

I  think  that  Mr.  Hume  held  for  a  short  time,  an  agency  for  Oglethorpe 
University,  but  I  cannot  give  any  particulars  of  it.  He'  was,  however, 
back  here,  and  moderated  a  Church-meeting  that  elected  his  successor- 
The  Church  was  declared  vacant  the  3d  of  October,  1853,  and  Mr. 
Hume  died  in  Tennessee,  August  10th,  1854,  less  than  a  year  after.  I 
enclose  you  the  notice  of  that  sad  event,  which  is  well  prepared,  except 
that  it  is  strangely  deficient  in  names  and  dates.  Had  my  own  health 
permitted,!  would  have  had  it  otherwise;  but  many  weeks  or  months 
intervened,  and  have  been  followed  by  years,  while  few  are  left  to  sup- 
ply the  information  wanted. 

Mr.  Hume  had  a  good  classical  education,  having  studied  the  Scrip- 


REV.    JESSE    HUME.  175 


tures  in  the  original  languages,  and  having  had  his  Theological  training 
at  Princeton,  in  its  palmiest  days,  under  Alexander,  Miller  and  Hodge. 
His  brief  Ministry  was  principally  around  Nashville,  Gallatin,  the  Hermi- 
tage, etc.  I  know  not  his  exact  age,  but  conjecture  it  was  32  or  33.  I  think 
his  life  was  not  prolonged — probably  it  was  shortened  by  his  return  too 
soon  to -Tennessee.  But  his  work  was  done,  and  his  heavenly  Father 
judged  right  to  release  him  from  his  labors  on  earth,  and  receive  him 
early  to  His  bosom,  and  his  eternal  rest.        *        *        *        * 

Yours  very  truly,  BENJ.  F.  WHITNER. 

Proceedings  of  the  Tallahassee  Church  in  relation  to  the 
death  of  Mr.  Hume,  referred  to  in  Mr.  Whitner's  letter. 

"Presbyterian  Church, 
Tallahassee,  September  3,  ]854. 

The  sad  and  painful  intelligence  has  been  received  of  the 
death  of  our  late  much-loved  pastor,  the  Rev.  Jesse  W. 
Hume,  and  we  have  to-day  assembled  here  in  the  house  of 
God,  to  mingle  together  our  grief — to  record  our  high  sense 
of  departed  worth — and  to  tender  our  sympathies  to  those, 
who  are  by  this  dispensation,  so  suddenly  and  sorely 
bereaved. 

Four  years  have  not  elapsed  since  Mr.  Hume  first  came 
amongst  us  to  assume  the  pastoral  relation.  Impressed  with 
the  belief  that  his  failing  health  must  soon  put  an  end  to  his 
career  in  the  ministry,  he  yet  hoped,  as  we  all  did,  that  our 
mild  climete  might  recruit  his  exhausted  powers.  For  a  time 
such  seemed  to  be  the  result.  He  entered  upon  his  duties 
with  characteristic  zeal  and  devotion,  and  we  were  encour- 
aged to  believe  that  the  Lord  of  the  vineyard  had  indeed  ap- 
pointed this  for  his  field  of  labor,  and  that  a  long  life  of 
usefulness  was  opened  before  him.  But  very  soon  our  hopes 
were  over-clouded,  and  by  degrees  the  sad  truth  was  forced 
upon  us,  that  the  God  of  Providence  had  otherwise  ordained. 

Anxious  that  no  means  should  be  left  untried  for  his  re- 
lief, we  urged  him  to  discontinue  his  labors  for  a  season,  and 
to  try  the  effect  of  relaxation  and  change  of  scene.  But  his 
high  sense  of  duty  forbade  his  acceptance  of  such  an  indul- 


176  NECROLOGY. 


gence.  Believing,  as  he  did,  that  the  interest  of  the  Church 
must  suffer  by  even  a  temporary  absence,  he  chose  rather  to 
resign  his  post  to  another,  and  insisted  upon  a  final  dissolu- 
tion of  his  connection  with  us.  We  at  length  unwillingly 
assented,  and  thus  was  severed  the  tenderest  of  Christian 
relations — that  of  a  beloved  pastor  to  a  beloved  people.  Yet, 
though  separated,  we  have  never  ceased  to  entertain  toward 
him  those  sentiments  of  personal  affection  and  respect  with 
which  his  many  virtues  had  inspired  us.  And  it  is  a  melancholy 
pleasure  to  know  that  our  affection  was  fully  reciprocated  by 
him,  and  even  on  his  dying  bed  he  remembered  us,  and  left 
us  his  blessing.  We  shall  ever  cherish  his  memory  as  that 
of  a  dear  personal  friend  and  brother. 

The  character  of  Mr.  Hume  was,  in  an  eminent  degree 
that  of  a  holy  "  man  of  God,  thoroughly  furnished  unto  all 
good  works."  His  talents,  naturally  of  a  high  order,  had 
been  from  earliest  youth  thoroughly  cultivated  and  trained; 
and  he  was  a  constant  and  laborious  student  all  his  life.  In 
every  earthly  relation  of  life  he  was  an  example  of  righte- 
ousness and  tiuth.  As  a  companion  and  friend,  he  was 
agreeable  and  instructive — as  a  husband  and  parent,  he  was 
patient,  kind  and  affectionate.  But  it  was  in  his  sacred  call- 
ing as  a  pastor  of  Christ's  flock,  that  his  more  lovely  and 
noble  qualities  were  exhibited.  This  was  his  chosen  and  be- 
loved sphere.  For  this,  he  was  by  nature  and  grace,  most 
peculiarly  fitted.  He  fully  realized  his  solemn  obligations, 
and  he  devoted  every  energy  to  it.  Earnest  and  self-sacri- 
ficing to  a  fault,  he  toiled  on  in  its  duties,  till  his  frail  body, 
exhausted,  sunk  in  the  effort. 

In  the  pulpit,  Mr.  Hume  particularly  excelled.  His  ser- 
mons were  eminently  scriptural,  doctrinal,  and  argumenta- 
tive. Yet,  with  these  qualities  he  happily  combined  practical, 
solemn  and  affectionate  exhortation.  The  great  and  funda- 
mental truths  of  the  gospel  were  his  constant  theme,  and  in 
explaining  and  enforcing  them,  he  manifested  a  power  and 


REV.    JESSE   HUME.  177 


facility  rarely  witnessed.  His  sermons  were  always  prepared 
with  great  labor,  and  were  lucid-,  condensed,  vigorous  and 
logical.  He  studiously  avoided  mere  ornament,  seeking 
rather  to  convince  the  heart,  than  please  the  ear  ;  yet,  such 
was  the  severe  simplicity  of  his  style — the  originality,  fit- 
ness and  beauty  of  his  illustrations,  and  the  natural,  clear, 
and  connected  arrangement  and  progress  of  his  argument, 
that  he  seldom  failed  to  charm  and  instruct  as  well  the  most 
cultivated  as  the  most  careless  of  his  hearers  ;  and  so  happy 
was  his  faculty  of  impressing  the  main  points  of  his  dis- 
course upon  the  mind,  that  one  could  recall  the  whole  of 
them  with  ease  and  pleasure,  as  if  they  were  the  scenes  and 
incidents  of  some  pleasant  road  traveled  together.  His  voice 
was  pleasing,  his  manner  solemn  and  spiritual,  while  his 
earnestness,  animation  and  evident  sincerity,  riveted  the  at- 
tention of  all. 

His  sermons,  delivered  while  here,  constitute  a  system  of 
Presbyterian  doctrine  and  belief,  comprehensive,  thorough 
and  popular,  and  have,  as  we  believe,  had  the  effect  of  ele- 
vating in  a  high  degree  the  moral  and  religious  intelligence 
and  sentiment  of  our  whole  community.  We  indulge  the 
hope  that  those  sermons  may  be  preserved  and  published  to 
the  world,  that  thus  their  usefulness  may  be  prolonged  and 
extended,  and  that  he,  though  dead,  may  yet  speak  in  his  be- 
loved Master's  cause. 

In  the  more  private  duties  of  the  pastorate  oflSce,  Mr. 
Hume  was  alike  acceptable.  His  gentle  sympathy  and  holy 
counsels  went  straight  to  the  hearts  of  the  doubting  and  dis- 
tressed. His  prayers  and  consolations  brought  strength  and 
comfort  from  the  very  fountain,  seemingly  of  God's  love. 

Mr.  Hume  did  not  confine  his  efforts  to  his  own  immediate 
charge.  He  was  deeply  imbued  with  a  missionary  spirit, 
and  throughout  the  bounds  of  the  State  his  labor  and  influ- 
ence were  felt  for  good.  During  his  stay  here,  our  branch 
of  Christ's  Church  was,  in  a  great  degree,  by  his  instrumen- 


12 


178  NECROLOGY. 


tality,  raised  to  a  position  of  strength  and  prosperity  it  had 
never  before  enjoyed. 

Such  was  the  character  and  such  the  capabilities  for  use- 
fulness of  Mr.  Hume.  We  loved  him,  and  were  proud  of 
him.  And  who  can  wonder  ?  We  feel  that  his  death  (at  this 
early  age)  is  a  calamity,  not  merely  to  his  family  and  friends, 
but  to  the  Church  and  the  world.  A  strong  man — an  able 
and  fearless  defender  of  the  truth  has  fallen.  We  cannot 
but  wonder  that  Providence  has  seen  fit  to  remove  him,  yet, 
we  doubt  not  it  is  done  in  Infinite  Wisdom,  and  it  becomes 
us  not  to  repine  or  despair.  The  battle  is  the  Lord's — we 
will  put  our  trust  in  him That  torn  and  suffer- 
ing body  now  lies  in  the  grave,  never  again  to  be  racked  with 
pain,  in  its  fitting  and  chosen  resting  place  at  the  feet  of  his 
venerated  earthly  father, while  his  freed  spirit,  at  the  feet  of  his 
Redeemer  on  high,  is  drinking  in  the  pure  and  holy  joy  of 
Heaven.  Whilst  we  are  still  left  to  grope  on  a  while  longer 
in  the  night  here  below,  his  morning  has  already  come.  Let 
us  not  selfishly  wish  him  back,  but  forget  our  sorrow  in  his 
joy. 


REV.  DANIEL  INGLES  * 


Daniel  Ingles  was  born  in  Western  New  York,  in  the 
year  1806.  He  resided  in  the  Northwestern  part  of  the 
same  State  until  he  arrived  at  maturity.  Little  is  known  of 
his  parents,  as  they  both  died  before  he  was  five  years  old. 
Of  his  ancestry  we  know  nothing.  Left  as  an  indigent 
orphan,  he  was  taken  as  a  beneficiary  into  the  family  of  a 
Mr.  Cleghorn,  where  he  performed  the  servile  labors  of  the 
family  until  he  arrived  at  manhood.  In  the  capacity  which 
Providence  assigned  him,  he  was  early  subjected  to  priva- 
tions and  hardships ;  nevertheless,  through  life  he  ever  man- 
ifested a  respectful  regard  for  the  memory  of  his  foster  pa- 
rents, and  an  aifectionate  esteem  for  the  members  of  the 
family  in  which  he  was  brought  up.  Compelled  to  labor  for  his 
daily  support,  he  enjoyed  no  literary  advantages  whatever — 
he  was  of  age  before  he  knew  a  letter  in  the  alphabet. 

It  was  under  the  ministry  of  the  celebrated  and  eccentric 
evangelist,  Finney,  of  Western  New  York,  he  was  awakened 
to  a  serious  consideration  of  his  sinful  state,  and  led  to  in- 
quire what  he  must  do  to  be  saved.  Having  obtained  peace 
through  faith  in  a  crucified  Redeemer,  he  soon  became  desi- 
rous of  obtaining  a  liberal  education,  qualifying  himself  for 
the  work  of  the  ministry. 

Struggling  with  poverty,  he  persevered  amidst  many  diffi- 
culties until  he  became  a  student  in  the  Oneida  Institute,  N. 
Y.  In  that  institution  he  became  acquainted  with  a  James 
H.  George,  a  young  man  from  Georgia,  who  had  been  disin- 
herited by  his  father,  because  he  had  professed  religion,  and 
felt  it  to  be  his  duty  to  preach  the  gospel  of  Christ,  rather 


*  MSS.  from  Rev.  H.  C.  Carter. 

179 


180  NECROLOGY. 


than  enter  the  profession  of  the  law,  for  which  his  father 
intended  him. 

With  young  George,  Mr.  Ingles  came  to  Georgia  about  the 
close  of  1828.  He  was  taken  under  the  care  of  the  Georgia 
Education  Society,  in  January,  1829.  He  entered  Franklin 
College,  Athens,  then  under  the  Presidency  of  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Church,  and  by  that  Society  was  sustained  during  his  Col- 
legiate course.  Even  while  a  student,  he  was  noted  for  his  reli- 
gious zeal  and  energy.  He  abounded  in  laborious  eflForts  to  do 
good,  traveling,  during  his  vacations,  oft-times  forty  and  fifty 
miles  to  visit  Churches  and  communities,  where  there  was 
any  prospect  of  doing  good.  In  prayer  meetings  he  was  re- 
markably gifted  in  prayer  and  exhortations. 

During  his  stay  in  College,  his  Sabbaths  were  usually 
spent  in  attending  Sunday  Schools  in  the  country  where  he 
had  opportunity  of  exercising  his  peculiar  gifts.  At  these 
places,  large  congregations  would  assemble,  being  attracted 
by  his  fervid  eloquence.  At  camp-meetings,  especially,  he 
seemed  to  be  in  his  proper  element.  On  such  occasions, 
during  the  intervals  of  public  worship,  he  would  watch  for  a 
suitable  opportunity  to  commence  an  exhortation  amidst  a 
group  of  young  people,  and  wherever  his  sonorous  voice  was 
heard,  there  a  crowd  would  be  immediately  assembled. 
There  was  something  solemn  and  impressive  in  the  deep  in- 
tonations of  his  voice,  united  with  the  earnestness*  of  his 
manner.  There  was  a  harmony  in  his  eye,  his  voice,  and  his 
action,  rarely  found  in  combination  in  the  same  individual. 
It  attracted  and  fixed  the  attention  both  of  old  and  young; 
and  his  manifest  sincerity  over-awed  the  scoffing  sceptic.  He 
was  in  many  respects  a  remarkable  man,  and  a  remarkable 
preacher.  He  was  a  Boanerges — a  son  of  thunder — of  ar- 
dent temperament,  and  vigorous  energy  of  body  and  mind ; 
he  threw  his  soul  into  the  work.  Whatever  he  undertook, 
he  did  it  with  all  his  might. 

In  1833,  Mr.  Ingles  was  graduated,  and  shortly  thereafter 


REV.    DANIEL   INGLES. 


1#1 


was  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  James  D.  Cole, 
Esq.,  of  Athens.  In  the  same  year  he  received  license  from 
Hopewell  Presbytery  to  preach  the  gospel. 

For  some  years  he  was  engaged  in  teaching  an  Academy 
at  the  village  of  Social  Circle,  Walton  county,  Georgia, 
while  at  the  same  time  he  preached  in  all  the  surrounding 
region  as  opportunity  offered.  He  afterwards  supplied  the 
Presbyterian  Church  in  the  city  of  Macon,  for  two  years. 

Having  sold  his  possessions  in  Walton  county,  he  bought 
a  farm  on  the  Coosawatie  river,  in  Gordon  county,  in  the 
west  of  the  State,  to  which  he  removed  his  family  in  1850. 
Here  he  remained  for  some  years  in  comparative  seclusion, 
devoting  himself  almost  exclusively  to  farming,  and  occa- 
sionally supplying  some  feeble  Churches  in  his  vicinity.  In 
1856,  he  was  called  to  mourn  the  death  of  Mrs.  Ingles.  This 
was  to  him  a  sore  bereavement,  and  he  immediately  sunk 
into  a  state  of  mental  gloom  and  despondency.  Although 
Mr.  Ingles  was  a  man  of  ardent  feelings,  and  by  nature  pre- 
pared to  overcome  difficulties  by  persevering  efforts,  yet,  at 
times  he  was  subject  to  extreme  mental  depression,  as  though 
he  were  suffering  under  deep  convictions.  During  these  seasons 
of  gloom  and  melancholy,  he  could  not  be  induced  to  engage  in 
any  ministerial  work.  But  when  the  dark  cloud  was  lifted, 
he  would  return  to  his  work  with  renewed  energy.  Such 
was  the  case  after  the  death  of  his  wife.  After  a  few  months 
he  began  to  revive  and  make  arrangements  once  more  to 
emerge  from  his  seclusion,  and  go  forth  again  to  labor  in  the 
gospel  vineyard. 

As  a  public  speaker,  he  was  eloquent  and  impressive.  His 
imagination  was  vivid,  his  illustrations  were  strikingly  appro- 
priate, and  sometimes  thrilling  and  sublime.  His  appeals  to 
the  consciences  of  the  impenitent  were  pungent  and  alarm- 
ing. Oft-times  sinners  would  feel  themselves  to  be  the  ob- 
ject of  his  personal  address.  We  now  distinctly  recollect  an 
instance  of  this  kind,  that  fell  under  our  own  observation. 


182  NECROLOGY. 


A  worldly,  wicked,  careless  man,  had  by  some  one  been  in- 
duced to  attend  an  evening  service  where  Mr.  Ingles  was  the 
preacher.  He  was  in  his  finest  mood.  His  address  was  to 
the  impenitent.  As  he  proceeded  in  depicting  in  the  most 
glowing  colors  the  sinner's  character  and  danger,  holding  up 
before  his  eyes  the  wrath  of  God  as  revealed  against  all  un- 
righteousness and  ungodliness  of  men,  the  man  began  to 
conclude  that  he  was  addressing  him  personally — that  he 
certainly  knew  him,  or  that  some  person  had  told  Mr.  Ingles 
what  sort  of  a  man  he  was,  for  in  the  glowing  description  he 
gave  of  the  sinner's  character,  he  saw  the  picture  of  himself, 
and  heard  him  virtually  saying  to  him,  "  Thou  art  the  man." 
He  was  highly  offended — he  rose  in  wrath  and  left  the 
Church.  We  met  him  the  next  morning  on  the  street.  He 
was  still  very  much  excited,  and  affirmed  that  he  would  never 
hear  that  man  again,  who  had  so  wontonly  insulted  him.  He 
was  told  that  Mr.  Ingles  did  not  intend  a  personal  insult — 
that  he  knew  nothing  of  him — did  not  doubtless  know  that 
there  was  such  a  man  in  the  congregation — had  in  all  proba- 
bility never  heard  his  name.  But  on  the  contrary,  his  own 
conscience  was  the  accuser — that  the  sword  of  the  spirit  had 
pierced  his  heart  and  discovered  to  him  his  sin ;  and  that  he 
had  more  reason  to  be  offended  at  himself  than  any  other 
being  on  earth.  He  was  evidently  under  strong  convictions, 
and,  although,  he  had  resolved  not  to  hear  that  man  again, 
the  very  next  evening  he  was  in  the  Church  again,  not  to 
resist  the  truth,  but  as  an  awakened  soul,  asking,  "  what  he 
must  do  to  be  saved?"  A  few  days  more,  and  he  was  rejoic- 
ing in  hope,  and  lived  and  died  a  triumphing  Christian.  In- 
deed, such  were  the  pointed  and  pungent  nature  of  his  ap- 
peals at  times,  that  few  could  hear  him,  without  feeling  them- 
selves personally  addressed. 

Thus  many  a  bold  blasphemer  quailed  beneath  his  thun- 
dering denunciations,  and  were  filled  with  trembling  dismay 
in  view  of  the  faithful  portraiture  of  himself,  as  drawn  by 


REV.    DANIEL   INGLES.  183 

this  faithful  declaimer  against  prevalent  iniquities.  He  feared 
not  the  face  of  man.  He  never  hesitated  to  denounce  the 
judgments  of  God  against  the  wicked.  The  following  illus- 
trates this  fact : 

"  At  a  camp-meeting  in  the  middle  part  of  the  State, 
hearing  that  a  number  of  drunken  fellows,  of  the  baser  sort, 
had  assembled  at  a  neighboring  drinking-shop,  for  the  pro- 
fane purpose  of  holding  a  mock- meeting,  and  where  they  in- 
tended to  administer  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's  supper,  he 
was  fired  with  holy  indignation ;  and  notwithstanding  the 
threats  uttered  of  personal  violence,  he  fearlessly  entered 
their  assembly  and  boldly  denounced  the  judgments  of 
heaven  upon  their  blasphemous  conduct,  if  they  did  not  im- 
mediately repent  and  desist.  To  the  ring-leader  of  the 
band,  he  said,  as  one  having  authority,  "  God  in  his  wrath,  I 
verily  believe,  will  cut  you  down  this  very  night,  if  you  do 
not  at  once  repent." 

Seeing  that  they  were  determined  to  continue  their  blas- 
phemous sport,  he  left  them  and  returned  to  the  camp.  Not 
long  after  his  return,  this  bold  blasphemer,  while  in  the  very 
act  of  ridiculing  sacred  things,  dropped  dead  upon  the  floor, 
and  his  terrified  comrades  came  running  to  the  camp,  begging 
God's  people  to  pray  for  them. 

On  another  occasion,  as  he  was  visiting  in  a  certain  village 
whither  he  had  gone  to  assist  the  pastor  in  an  approaching 
meeting,  he  entered  the  house  of  a  professed  Universalist, 
he  being  absent,  and  conversed  and  prayed  with  his  wife  and 
daughters.  Returning  to  the  same  house  a  few  days  after- 
wards, he  was  met  at  the  door  by  the  Universalist  and  per- 
emptorily ordered  away.  He  calmly  replied,  "  I  will  never 
visit  your  house  again  until  you  send  for  me,"  adding,  "  and 
this  you  will  do  before  long."  This  proved  true,  for  this  act 
was  overruled  as  the  means  of  his  persecutor's  conviction, 
and  he  found  no  peace  untU  he  sent  for  Mr.  Ingles,  and 
asked  his  forgiveness.     He,  his  wife,  and  two  daughters,  all 


184  NECROLOGY. 


his  family,  were  afterwards  brought  hopefully  to  the  Saviour. 

We  have  already  alluded  to  the  effect  of  the  death  of  his 
wife,  which  threw  over  his  spirits  a  deep  gloom,  from  which 
he  was  not  restored  for  many  months.  At  length,  however, 
the  sun  began  to  appear — the  shadows  which  had  so  long' 
hung  around  his  soul  fled  away — and  he  began  to  think  of 
returning  to  his  work.  But  just  as  he  was  about  consum- 
mating his  plans  for  future  usefulness,  the  Master  called  him 
suddenly  to  a  higher  and  holier  state.  Early  on  the  very 
day  he  was  to  remove  to  a  place  he  had  purchased  recently, 
he  was  found,  reclining  upon  a  sofa  in  his  chamber,  dead. 
By  him  lay  an  open  Bible,  and  at  his  feet  a  religious  tract, 
which  had  probably  dropped  from  his  fingers  as  they  had 
been  palsied  by  the  touch  of  death.  Thus,  while  meditating 
upon  divine  and  heavenly  truth,  his  spirit  returned  to  God 
who  gave  it.     It;  was  a  mysterious  providence. 

He  died  in  the  fifty -fifth  year  of  his  age,  and  the  twenty- 
fourth  of  his  ministry.  On  the  29th  of  December,  1857,  he 
was  laid  in  the  grave  by  the  side  of  his  beloved  wife.  For 
nearly  twenty-five  years  he  had  labored  faithfully  and  suc- 
cessfully in  the  vineyard  of  his  Lord  and  Master. 


REV.  CHARLES  COLCOCK  JONES,  D.D.* 


Charles  Colcock  Jones,  the  son  of  Captain  Jones  and 
Mrs.  Susannah  Hyme  Jones,  was  born  at  his  father's  resi- 
dence. Liberty  Hall,  Liberty  county,  Georgia,  December 
20th,  1804,  and  was  baptized  at  MidAvay  Church,  of  which 
his  mother  was  a  member,  by  the  Rev.  Cyrus  Gildersleeve, 
at  that  time  its  pastor.  The  sole  care  of  him,  when  three 
months  old,  was,  by  the  lamented  dei^th  of  his  father,  devolved 
on  his  mother.  Of  Huguenot  descent,  she  was  a  woman  of 
great  excellence  of  character  and  sincere  piety ;  and  her 
earnest  desire  and  frequent  prayer  for  her  fatherless  child 
were  that  he  might  glorify  God  in  the  Christian  ministry — -a 
prayer  destined  to  be  signally  answered  long  after  her  lips 
were  silent  in  death. 

Bereft  by  death  of  a  mother's  tender  care  before  he  had 
reached  his  fifth  year,  God  did  not  forget  the  little  orphan, 
but  in  His  kind  providence  committed  him  to  the  protection 
of  affectionate  relatives,  and  "  to  the  special  guardianship  of 
his  uncle.  Captain  Joseph  Jones,  who  ever  sustained  to  him 
the  relation  of  a  father,  and  to  whose  influence,  protection, 
and  kindness  he  ever  accorded  the  respect,  obedience  and 
affection  of  a  son." 

Having  received  at  the  Sunbury  Academy,  then  under  the 
preceptorship  of  the  Rev.  William  McWhir,  D.D.,  the  rudi- 
ments of  an  excellent  English  education,  he  entered  at  the 
age  of  fourteen,  and  continued  some  six  years,  in  a  counting 
house  in  Savannah.  While  thus  employed,  the  evening  hours 
of  leisure  were  spent  by  him  in  reading  and  study.  And  in 
this  way  the  young  clerk  and  future  minister  of  the  gospel 
amassed  valuable  historical  information,  and  disciplined  his 

*MSS.  From  Rev.  R.  Q.  Mallard  and  Mrs.  Jones. 

185 


186  NECROLOGY. 


mental  faculties  in  mastering  Edwards  on  the  Will.  Such 
were  his  energy,  industry,  system,  and  strict  integrity,  that 
he  won  the  entire  confidence  of  his  employers  ;  and  it  is  said 
that  at  the  close  of  this  period,  he  could  have  commanded 
almost  any  position  he  should  have  chosen.  But  God  had 
other  work  for  him  to  do. 

Up  to  this  time,  it  is  not  known  that  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  although  of  tender  susceptibilities,  was  ever  under 
deep  convictions  of  sin  ;  but  during  his  commercial  career  a 
severe  spell  of  sickness  brought  him  to  the  verge  of  the 
grave,  and  was,  under  God,  the  means  of  his  profound 
awakening.  His  exercises  of  soul  at  this  interesting  period 
are  not  known,  but  evidence  of  their  genuineness  was  from 
the  first  apparent.  Connecting  himself,  while  still  a  resident 
of  Savannah,  at  the  age  of  seventeen,  with  the  Midway  Con- 
gregational Church  of  Liberty  county,  then  under  the  pas- 
toral care  of  the  Rev.  Murdoch  Murphy,  he  became  at  once 
an  active  Sunday  School  Teacher  in  the  Independent  Pres- 
byterian Church  of  that  city,  visiting  his  scholars  at  their 
homes,  and  even  drawing  up  rules  for  the  guidance  of  their 
daily  conduct.  The  idea  of  studying  for  the  ministry  was 
first  urged  upon  his  serious  consideration  by  the  Rev.  Mur- 
doch Murphy.  ^ 

About  this  time  the  Hon.  John  Elliot,  then  a  Senator  in 
the  United  States  Congress,  and  a  warm  friend  of  the  family, 
urged  Capt.  Joseph  Jones  to  send  his  ward  to  the  Military 
Academy  at  West  Point,  and  offered  to  use  his  influence  in 
obtaining  a  place  for  him.  But  the  Providence  and  Spirit  of 
God  had  now  directed  the  aims  and  designs  of  his  young  ser- 
vant to  a  higher  and  holier  calling,  and  owing,  perhaps,  to 
this  fact,  that  Dr.  Ebenezer  Porter,  of  Andover,  was  at  this 
time  favorably  known  in  his  native  county,  through  his  visits 
for  health  to  the  South,  his  attention  was  turned  towards  that 
Seminary,  then  distinguished  al  ke  for  its  strict  orthodoxy 
and  thoroughintellectual  culture.  , 


REV.    CHARLES   COLCOCK   JONES,    D.  D.  187 


At  the  age  of  twenty  he  connected  himself  with  Phillips 
Academy,  at  Andover,  and  had  almost  attained  his  majority 
when,  for  the  first  time,  he  took  the  Latin  Grammar  in  hand. 
His  stay  at  Andover,  including  the  time  spent  in  the  School 
and  Seminary,  was  three  years  and  a  half.  We  may  well 
suppose  from  his  previous,  as  well  as  subsequent  career,  that 
these  were  not  years  of  idleness.  With  Dr.  Porter  he  asso- 
ciated on  terms  of  intimacy,  and  ever  spoke  of  him  with 
affectionate  veneration,  and  has  been  heard  to  say  that  he 
had  visited  him  in  his  study  at  all  hours  of  the  day,  and  that 
there  was  not  an  hour  at  which  he  did  not  at  some  time  find 
him  on  his  knees.  Durino;  one  vacation  while  connected 
with  Andover,  Dr.  Jones  labored  as  a  missionary  in  Provi- 
dence, R.  I.  His  report,  by  its  fearless  exposure  of  vice,  gave 
much  offense,  while  his  great  exertions  impaired  his  health. 
From  Andover  Dr.  Jones  went  to  Princeton  Seminary, 
New  Jersey,  and  eighteen  months  afterward  completed,  under 
Doctors  Alexander  and  Miller,  then  its  great  ornaments,  his 
Theological  education.  In  the  Spring  of  1830,  he  was  licensed 
to  preach  the  gospel  by  the  Presbytery  of  New  Brunswick, 
then  in  session  at  Allentown.  In  November,  1830,  he  re- 
turned to  his  native  county.  Liberty,  and  on  the  evening  of 
December  21st,  1830,  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary 
Jones.  For  a  period  of  four  or  five  months  he  preached  as 
opportunity  offered,  and  on  the  31st  of  May,  1831,  he  received 
and  subsequently  accepted  a  call  to  become  the  stated  supply 
of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  in  Savannah,  Georgia. 
Entering  upon  his  pastoral  labors  with  his  characteristic 
energy  and  zeal,  besides  visiting  in  the  week,  he  preached 
three  times  on  the  Sabbath,  devoting  one  of  the  services  to 
the  blacks,  and  delivered  a  course  of  lectures  on  the  Epistle 
to  the  Hebrews,  with  marked  success.  In  November  of  the 
Bame  year,  Dr.  Jones  connected  himself  with  the  Presbytery 
of  Georgia,  and  was  by  them  ordained  and  installed  pastor  of 
the  First  Presbyterian  Church,  Savannah.     The  installation 


188  NECROLOGY. 


and  ordination  services  were  held,  by  invitation,  in  the  Inde- 
pendent Presbyterian  Church,  then  under  the  pastoral  charge 
of  the  Rev.  Daniel  Baker,  and  before  a  large  congregation, 
who  filled  the  vast  audience  room  of  that  stately  edifice.  His 
relations  with  Dr.  Daniel  Baker  were  of  the  most  pleasant 
character. 

After  eighteen  months  spent  in  his  first  and  last  ministerial 
connection  with  a  pastoral  charge  of  whites.  Dr.  Jones  felt 
constrained  by  a  sense  of  duty  to  devote  himself  to  that 
great  Avork,  with  which  his  name  has  been  so  long  and  hon- 
orably associated — the  evangelization  of  the  negroes.  To 
this  needy  and  important  class  of  our  population,  his  mind 
seems  to  have  been  drawn  while  a  student  at  Princeton 
Seminary.  Severing  his  connection  with  the  Church  in  Sa- 
vannah, he  returned  to  Liberty  county,  November,  1832, 
and  gave  himself,  body,  mind  and  soul,  to  his  chosen  self- 
denying,  and  so  far  as  any  pecuniary  recompense  was  con- 
cerned, gratuitous  work ;  the  full  results  of  which  eternity 
only  will  disclose.  He  succeeded  to  a  remarkable  extent  in 
awakening  a  deep  interest  in  this  neglected  people,  not  only 
among  the  citizens  of  his  own  county,  but  by  his  extensive 
correspondence,  his  writings,  and  his  published  reports,  he 
under  God,  did  more  than  any  other  man  in  arousing  the 
whole  Church  of  this  country  to  its  duty  to  the  Africans 
among  us.  It  was  during  this  period  of  labor  that  he  pre- 
pared his  "  Catechism  of  Scripture  Doctrine  and  Practice," 
intended  mainly  for  the  oral  instruction  of  colored  persons; 
but  suited  to  families  and  schools,  which  has  been  so  exten- 
sively used  in  the  South,  and  has  been  translated  by  the 
Rev.  John  B.  Adger,  D.D.,  while  a  Missionary  at  Smyrna, 
into  the  Armenian  and  also  into  the  Armeno-Turkish ;  and 
by  the  Rev.  John  Quarterman,  at  Ningpo,  into  the  Chinese, 
and  has  been  found  of  eminent  use  in  instructing  the  heathen. 
In  unintermitted  missionary  labors,  which  engaged  his  time, 
and  employed  him  in  the  direct  work  of  instruction  not  only 


REV.    CHARLES   COLCOCK   JONES,   D.  D.  189 

several  nights  in  the  week,  but  almost  the  entire  Sabbath 
from  morn  to  night.  Dr.  Jones  spent  a  period  of  five  years. 

At  the  expiration  of  this  time,  in  1835,  he  was  elected  by 
the  Synod  of  South  Carolina  and  Georgia  to  the  Chair  of 
Church  History  and  Polity  in  the  Seminary  at  Columbia, 
S.  C,  and  in  1836,  he  removed  with  his  family  to  that  city, 
and  as  one  of  his  associates  in  the  Faculty  testifies,  dis- 
charged the  duties  of  his  professorship  with  his  characteristic 
zeal  and  ardor.  After  two  years  of  arduous  service  he  re- 
signed in  1838,  his  Chair,  and  returned  to  his  old  field  of 
labor.  Here  he  labored  with  unremitting  activity  and  great 
success  until  November,  1847,  at  which  time  he  laid  before 
the  Presbytery  two  calls  which  he  had  received ;  the  one 
inviting  him  to  become  an  Agent  and  Secretary  for  the 
Assembly's  Board  of  Missions  for  the  South  and  Southwest, 
with  a  special  view  to  the  religious  instruction  of  the  negroes, 
and  the  other  calling  him  again  to  the  Chair  of  Church 
History  and  Polity  in  the  Columbia  Seminary.  Presbytery 
recommended  the  acceptance  of  the  latter,  and  accordingly 
he  removed,  in  1848,  to  Columbia,  and  entered  upon  his  pro- 
fessorial duties. 

On  the  night  of  the  18th  of  April,  1850,  the  house  in 
which  he  lived  with  all  its  contents,  was  consumed  by  fire, 
he  and  his  family  narrowly  escaping  with  their  lives.  By 
this  disastrous  event,  which  he  bore  with  beautiful  resignation, 
the  most  valuable  portion  of  his  library,  all  his  missionary 
journals,  sermons  and  other  MSS,  and  his  lectures  on  Church 
History,  which  had  been  prepared  with  assiduous  care,  were 
lost.  Elected  about  this  time  Secretary  of  the  Assembly's 
Board  of  Missions  as  the  successor  of  the  Rev.  William  A. 
McDowell,  D.D.,*  after  prayerfully  and  carefully  weighing 

*William  Anderson  McDowell,  D.D.,  was  born  at  Lainrington,  N.  J"., 
May,  1789.  He  graduated  at  Princeton  College  in  1809,  and  at  the  Theo- 
logical Seminary  in  May,  1813.  He  was  first  settled  at  Bound  Brook, 
N.  J.,  and  afterwards  at  Morristown.    He  left  N.  J.  in  October,  1823,  and 


190  NECROLOGY. 


the  reasons  for  and  against  the  change,  (a  draft  of  which 
reasons,  is  now  extant  in  his  hand  writing)  he  again  resigned 
his  Professorial  Chair,  and  in  1850,  removed  to  Philadelphia 
and  entered  upon  his  duties  as  Secretary.  In  this  new  posi- 
tion he  manifested  the  same  qualities  which  had  always  char- 
acterized him,  and  his  systematic  and  practical  business 
habits,  his  manly  independence,  his  thorough  comprehension 
of  the  demands  of  the  field,  his  uncommon  and  untiring  in- 
dustry, and  his  unflagging  zeal,  infused  new  life  and  energy  in- 
to the  operation  of  the  Board.  In  this  important  position  he 
was  not  permitted  long  to  labor.  His  constitution  having  long 
sustained  the  heavy  drafts  of  a  life  of  constant  and  severe 
exertion,  and  unremitting  toil  of  the  oiBce,  completely  broke 
down,  and  was  compelled  to  seek  restoration  in  the  quiet 
seclusion  of  his  own  delightful  home  in  Liberty  county. 

From  this  period  we  must  date  the  invalid  life  of  Dr. 
Jones,  protracted  through  ten  years,  if  indeed  we  can  prop- 
erly call  a  life  such,  which  was  active  and  laborious  as  that 
of  many  students  in  the  enjoyment  of  robust  health.  As 
his  strength  permitted  he  preached  to  white  and  black,  and 
labored  untiringly  on  his  own  plantation  for  the  spiritual 
good  of  his  servants,  eleven  of  whom,  as  the  fruits  of  his 
labors,  he  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  unite  with  Midway 
Church,  in  February,  1861.  He  attended,  as  he  was  able, 
the  meetings  of  Presbytery,  and  twice  during  this  period, 
represented  it  in  the  General  Assembly.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  First  General  Assembly  of  the  Confederate  States, 
and  took  an  active  part  in  its  deliberations,  being  made 
Chairman  of  one  of  its  most  important  committees.  Those 
who  were  present  on  that  memorable  occasion,  will  not  soon 
forget  the  deep  and  respectful  attention  with  which  the 
Assembly  listened  to  his  counsels,  and  the  profound  stillness, 

was  installed  pastor  of  the  Third  Presbyterian  Church,  Charleston,  S.C., 
in  Dec  ,  1823.  He  was  elected  Secretary  of  the  Board  of  Missions  in 
1833,  and  resigned  in  1850.    He  died  in  1851. 


REV.    CHARLES   COLCOCK   JONES,    D.  D.  191 

with  which  a  great  congregation,  as  well  as  the  Assembly, 
hung  upon  his  lips,  as  unmindful  of  his  physical  weakness,  he 
poured  forth  what  proved  to  be  his  last  appeal  to  the  Church 
in  behalf  of  the  souls  of  our  servants. 

But  the  chief  work  of  this  part  of  his  life  was,  *'  The 
History  of  the  Church  of  Grod,"  the  foundations  of  which 
were  laid  in  his  lectures  at  the  Seminary.  On  this  he 
wrought  untiringly  and  with  great  delight  almost  up  to  the 
day  of  his  death,  and  that  event  found  it  lacking  but  a  few 
chapters  of  completion,  and  ending,  strange  to  say,  just 
where  the  fire  in  Columbia  had  cut  short  his  lectures. 

From  an  injury  received  in  childhood  the  subject  of  this 
memorial,  remarkable  to  relate,  lived  and  labored  with  but 
one  lung  in  active  play,  and  experienced  at  times,  in  conse- 
quence a  sensation  of  weariness  in  the  vocal  organs,  such  as 
is  not  felt  by  one  in  full  health.  As  early  as  his  second 
period  of  missionary  life  in  Liberty  county,  the  seeds  of  the 
disease  which  finally  ended  his  days  seem  to  have  been  sown. 
Symptoms  of  nervous  exhaustion  were  on  one  occasion  felt, 
but  at  the  time  disregarded.  In  Columbia,  premonitory 
symptoms  of  his  disease  manifested  themselves,  and  alarm- 
ingly developed  themselves  in  Philadelphia.  His  disease  was 
known  as  the  wasting  palsy.  It  gradually,  yet  surely  wasted 
away  his  frame,  leaving  his  mind  to  the  last  untouched,  and 
growing  and  ripening  to  the  end.  His  son.  Dr.  Joseph 
Jones,  has  a  minute  history  of  the  entire  progress  of  his 
disease,  written  out  by  himself,  and  continued  up  to  the  last 
month  of  his  life. 

No  one  watched  his  symptoms  with  greater  care  and  com- 
posure than  he  did  himself.  With  a  strong  trust  in  his  Redeem- 
er, he  looked  on,  cheerful  and  happy,  when  he  knew  that  a  fatal 
disease  was  gradually  taking  down  his  tabernacle  of  clay. 
A  period  of  uncommon  mortality  prevailed  among  his  servants 
and  his  deep  anxiety  about  them,  and  about  the  war,  in  which 
as  a  patriot  he  took  the   deepest  interest,   it   is    believed 


192  NECROLOGY. 


hastened  his  end.  The  emaciation  gradually  extended  from 
his  limbs  to  his  person,  and  even  those  who  saw  him  at  short 
intervals  of  time,  were  shocked  at  the  progress  which  the 
disease  had  made.  He  kept  his  end  constantly  in  view,  and 
remarked  not  many  months  before  his  death  to  his  eldest 
son :  "  My  son,  I  am  living  in  momentary  expectation  of 
death,  but  the  thought  of  its  approach  causes  me  no  alarm. 
The  frail  tabernacle  must  soon  be  taken  down.  I  only  wait 
God's  time."  Four  days  before  his  death  he  made  this  en- 
try in  a  journal:  "March  12th,  1863,  have  been  very  weak 
and  declining  since  the  renewal  of  the  cold,  on  the  1st  instant, 
in  the  Church.  My  disease  appears  to  be  drawing  to  a  con- 
clusion. May  the  Lord  make  me  to  say  in  that  hour  in  sav- 
ing faith  and  love,  '  Into  thy  hands  I  commit  my  spirit :  Thou 
hast  redeemed  me,  0  Lord  God  of  truth,'"  Ps.  xxxvi:  5. 
(The  passage  thus  referred  to  reads  thus :  "  Thy  mercy,  0 
Lord,  is  in  the  heavens,  and  thy  faithfulness  reacheth  unto 
the  clouds."  "  So  has  our  blessed  Saviour  taught  us  by  his 
own  example  to  do,  and  blessed  are  they  who  die  in  the 
Lord." 

His  nights  at  this  time  were  sleepless,  his  respiration 
labored,  and  his  strength  sensibly  declining,  yet  his  Chris- 
tian composure  and  cheerfulness  never  forsook  him.  On 
Sunday  the  15th  of  March,  he  took  a  short  ride  on  horse- 
back, hoping  that  it  might  relieve  his  unpleasant  sensations. 
On  the  morning  of  the  16th,  the  day  on  which  he  died,  having 
dressed  himself  with  scrupulous  neatness,  he  came  down  from 
his  chamber  and  breakfasted  with  the  family.  After  break- 
fast he  walked  for  a  short  time  upon  the  lawn,  but  returned 
much  exhausted,  and  retiring  to  his  study,  spent  the  fore- 
noon there,  sometimes  sitting  up  and  sometimes  reclining. 
He  conversed  with  his  wife  and  sister  with  difficulty,  and 
evidently  suffered  much  from  restlessness  and  debility.  At 
two  o'clock,  dinner  was  served  in  his  study,  and  he  eat  with 
apparent  relish.     Soon  after  addressing  himself  to  his  wife 


REV.    CHARLES   COLCOCK  JONES,  D.  D.  193 

and  alluding  to  the  recent  order  of  Gen.  Beauregard,  as 
encouraging,  and  speaking  of  the  gigantic  efforts  of  our  ene- 
mies for  our  subjugation,  he  continued  :  "  The  God  of  Jacob 
is  with  us — God  our  Father,  Jehovah  God,  the  Holy  Ghost  and 
God  our  Divine  Redeemer,  and  we  can  never  be  overthrown." 
Mrs.  Jones  repeated  some  of  the  promises  of  the  Saviour, 
that  he  would  be  present  with  those  who  put  their  trust  in 
Him,  even  when  called  to  pass  through  the  dark  valley  of  the 
shadow  of  death.  To  which  he  repled:  "  In  health  we  may 
repeat  those  promises,  but  now  they  are  realities."  She  re- 
plied :  "  I  feel  assured  that  the  Saviour  is  present  with  you." 
He  answered,  "  I  am  nothing  but  a  poor  sinner,  I  renounce 
myself  and  all  self-justification,  trusting  only  in  the  free  un- 
merited righteousness  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  Being 
asked  if  he  had  any  messages  for  his  sons,  he  said  :  "  Tell 
them  both  to  lead  lives  of  godly  men  in  Christ  Jesus,  in 
uprightness  and  integrity."  His  feebleness  increasing,  she 
suggested  that  it  might  be  pleasant  to  him  to  retire  to  his 
chamber  and  recline  upon  his  bed.  To  this  he  assented,  and 
supported  by  his  wife  and  sister,  he  left  his  study  playfully 
remarking,  "  How  honored  I  am  in  being  waited  upon  by  two 
ladies."  Reclining  upon  his  bed,  in  a  few  moments,  without 
a  struggle,  a  sigh,  a  gasp,  he  gently  fell  asleep  in  Jesus.  A 
glory  almost  unearthly,  which  awed  all  who  approached, 
rested  upon  his  peaceful  countenance. 

Shortly  afterwards,  just  as  he  was,  in  the  same  garments 
he  had  put  on,  with  his  white  cravat  unsoiled,  and  every  fold 
as  his  own  hands  had  arranged  it,  he  was  borne  back  to  his 
study,  where,  surrounded  by  the  authors  he  had  loved  in  life, 
he  seemed  to  rest  in  sweet  and  peaceful  sleep,  until  the  third 
day  following ;  when,  after  appropriate  services  at  Midway 
Church,  conducted  by  the  Rev.  D.  L.  Buttolph,  his  mortal 
remains  were  committed  to  the  grave  in  that  venerable  cem- 
etery, where  his  own  parents  and  many  generations  of  God's 
saints  await  the  resurrection. 
'13 


194  NECKOLOGY. 


This  memorial  cannot  be  better  closed  than  by  quoting 
from  the  discourse  preached  on  the  occasion  of  his  death,  by 
the  Rev.  D.  L.  Buttolph,  on  the  17th  verse  of  the  48th 
chapter  of  Jeremiah,  "  How  is  the  strong  staff  broken,  and 
the  beautiful  rod."  The  following  estimate  of  his  character 
and  genius,  as  a  man,  a  Christian,  and  a  minister  of  the 
Gospel : 

"Dr.  Jones  was  a  man  who  possessed  striking  and  salient 
points  of  character.  He  was  born  to  lead.  No  one  could 
come  into  contact  with  him,  even  for  a  short  time,  with  out 
feeling  that  he  was  in  the  presence  of  a  commanding  intellect. 
His  mind  was  of  the  Jfirst  order.  He  would  have  succeeded 
in  any  sphere  he  had  chosen.  Such  were  his  strength  of 
purpose  and  resolute  will,  that  difficulties  so  far  from  deter- 
ring him  from  the  prosecution  of  his  object,  only  aroused  to 
increased  activity,  the  powers  of  his  extraordinary  mind. 
He  seemed  to  grasp  a  subject  in  all  its  bearing  and  relations 
at  once,  and  speedily  to  arrive  at  his  conclusions.  His 
judgment  appeared  to  be  almost  unerring.  Seldom  was  he 
compelled  to  reverse  a  decision,  which  he  had  formed.  He 
was  an  independent  thinker  and  actor.  No  man  surpasseji 
him  in  moral  courage.  He  was  not  afraid  to  assume  the  re- 
sponsibilities of  any  given  course  of  action  when  assured  that 
course  was  right.     He  only  feared  God. 

His  perseverence  was  indomitable.  Nothing  deterred  him 
in  the  path  of  duty.  He  went  forward  relying  on  the 
strength  of  God,  and  the  rectitude  of  his  course. 

His  acquisitions  in  knowledge  were  very  great.  Whatever 
subject  he  studied,  he  mastered.  His  knowledge  was  acurate 
as  well  as  extensive.  With  a  retentive  memory  and  a  logical 
mind,  he  could  bring  into  immediate  use  all  the  rich  stores 
of  learning  he  had  acquired.  Probably  no  man  ever  lived 
who  made  better  use  of  his  time.  He  regarded  time  as  a 
most  precious  talent,  and  most  faithfully  did  he  improve  it. 
He  never  spared  himself.     He  labored  hard  and  successfully 


REV.    CHARLES   COLCOCK  JONES,  D.  D.  195 

up  to  the  very  close  of  life.  The  Master,  when  he  came, 
found  him  at  work.  He  fell  as  he  desired  to  fall,  with  his 
harness  on. 

Dr.  Jones  possessed  qualities  which  are  rarely  found 
united  together  in  the  same  person.  He  was  not  more  the 
"strong  staflf,"  than  he  was  the  "beautiful  rod."  Strength  and 
beauty  seemed  to  be  equally  combined  in  him.  Accompany- 
ing his  stern,  strong  will,  his  unyielding  purpose,  and  his  fear- 
less courage,  there  was  a  modesty,  a  humility,  a  gentleness 
which  are  rarely  surpassed.  These  qualities  were  not  as- 
sumed, or  put  on  for  effect,  they  were  as  natural  to  him  as 
were  those  strong  characteristics  which  commanded  the  re- 
spect and  admiration  of  all  who  knew  him.  He  had  a  tender 
heart,  which  was  alive  to  every  kind  and  generous  emotion. 
He  sympathized  deeply  with  all  who  were  in  distress.  He 
seemed  to  place  himself  in  their  condition  and  to  bear  their 
burdens.  "  Weep  with  all  who  weep,  and  rejoice  with  all 
who  rejoice." 

Blessed  with  wealth,  he  regarded  all  that  he  possessed  as  a 
treasure  loaned  from  the  Lord,  and  himself  as  the  Lord's 
steward.  He  labored  for  years  in  the  ministry  at  his  own 
charges,  and  gave  liberally  of  his  substance  to  the  poor  and 
every  benevolent  cause.  The  afflicted  of  every  class  and 
degree  found  in  him  a  sympathizing  friend  and  helper.  He 
was  pre-eminently  a  good  counsellor.  He  appeared  to  know 
what  ought  to  be- done  in  every  emergency,  and  such  was  the 
soundness  of  his  judgment,  that  he  seldom  made  a  mistake. 
His  conversational  powers  were  .of  the  highest  order.  His 
accurate  and  extensive  information  upon  almost  every  subject 
united  with  great  ease  and  courtesy,  made  him  both  instruc- 
tive and  entertaining  to  all  classes.  No  one  could  be  in  his 
company  and  listen  to^his  conversation  without  pleasure  and, 
profit.  His  home  was  the  abode  of  hospitality,  and  none 
who  have  ever  enjoyed  it,  will  forget  the  kind  welcome  which 


196  NECROLOGY. 


lie  always  gave.     Probably  no  one  in  the  county  had  a  larger 
and  choicer  circle  of  friends  and  acquaintances. 

Dr.  Jones'  Christian  life  was  marked  by  its  depth,  sincerity 
and  earnestness.  Religion  with  him  was  the  great  reality  of 
life.  It  was  his  chief  concern  to  please  God,  perform  his  duty 
and  prepare  for  eternity.  His  reverence  for  God,  was  deep 
and  abiding.  He  lived  and  moved  under  the  abiding  conscious- 
ness that  God's  eye  was  upon  him.  He  had  the  most  exalted 
ideas  of  the  greatness,  majesty,  glory,  and  holiness  of  God. 
Every  thing  connected  with  His  character,  will  and  worship, 
received  his  homage  and  reverence.  He  bowed  low  in  the 
presence  of  God.  All  profane  trifling  with  the  name,  attri- 
butes, and  worship  of  Deity,  shocked  every  feeling  of  his 
soul.  The  Bible  was  his  constant  study.  He  was  familiar 
with  its  truths.  He  not  only  read,  but  studied  its  sacred  con- 
tents. He  brought  every  opinion  to  the  test  of  God's  Word, 
and  tried  it  by  that  sacred  standard.  The  views  and  opin- 
ions of  men  were  nothing  with  him,  unless  they  agreeed  with 
the  teachings  of  Scripture.  He  loved  God's  Word.  It  was 
the  food  on  which  his  soul  constantly  fed.  He  studied  it  not 
only  that  he  might  instruct  others,  but  that  his  own  heart 
might  be  sanctified.  His  expositions  of  God's  Word  were 
satisfactory  and  conclusive.  They  proved  that  he  spoke  from 
his  own  experience  of  their  truth  and  power.  The  Sabbath 
was  also  his  delight.  He  reverenced  the  Lord's  day.  Its 
hours  were  faithfully  consecrated  to  public  and  private  wor- 
ship. While  his  health  permitted,  he  labored  as  an  am- 
bassador of  Christ  to  men,  and  when  unable  to  preach,  he 
was  a  most  regular  attendant  upon  the  means  of  grace  .... 
Our  departed  brother  was  eminent  for  his  piety.  He  had 
made  great  attainments  in  holiness.  He  lived  "near  the 
throne  of  grace.  He  held  constant  communion  with  his 
Saviour.  No  one  could  hear  him  pray,  whether  in  the  sanc- 
tuary or  at  the  family  altar,  or  at  the  bedside  of  the  sick 
and  dying,  without  perceiving  that  prayer  was  his  "  native 


REV.    CHARLES   COLCOCK  JONES,  D.  D.  197 

breath."  He  possessed  to  a  remarkable  degree  the  gift  and 
grace  of  prayer.  In  prayer  his  soul  seemed  to  mount  up  on 
the  wings  of  faith  to  the  very  presence  chamber  of  Deity. 
There  Was  an  appropriateness  of  thought  and  expression  in 
his  prayers,  which  rendered  them  most  edifying  to  all  who 
joined  with  him  in  devotion.  We  cannot  enumerate  all  the 
traits  of  his  Christian  character. 

He  was  remarkable  for  his  humility.  Having  the  most 
exalted  views  of  God's  infinite  greatness  and  holiness,  it  is 
not  strange  that  he  had  low  and  debasing  views  of  himself. 
In  his  own  sight  he  was  nothing,  and  less  than  nothing. 
^'Renouncing  himself,"  as  he  expressed  it,  "and  all  self- 
justification,-  he  trusted  only  in  the  free  and  unmerited^right- 
eousness  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  This  was  his  only  hope. 
Christ  was  all  his  salvation  and  all  his  desire. 

He  ardently  loved  the  Saviour,  and  desired  that  His  name 
should  be  known  and  honored  Jthroughout  the^earfh.  He 
loved  the  Christian  brethren — his  heart  went  forth  in  true 
affection  towards  all  who  loved  Christ  in  sincerity  and  truth. 
He  loved  the  souh  of  the  impenitent.  He  prayed  for 
their  conversion.  He  strove  to  bring  them  to  a  saving 
knowledge  of  Christ.  His  efforts  for  their  conversion  were 
not  confined  to  the  pulpit.  He  spoke  to  them  in  private, 
and  endeavored  to  win  them  to  Christ.  The  one  great  aim 
of  his  life  was  to  do  good  to  the  souls  of  his  fellow-men. 
This  was  exhibited  especially  in  his  ministerial  life.  He  felt 
it  to  be  a  distinguished  privilege  and  honor  to  be  called  to 
serve  God  in  the  ministry.  No  one  had  higher  views  of  the 
sacredness  of  this  office  than  the  subject  of  these  remarks. 

When  he  became  assured  of  his  call  to  the  ministry,  he 
entered  upon  the  preparation  for  its  duties  with  the  utmost 
zeal.  His  lack  of  collegiate  education  was  made  up  by  in- 
defatigable application  to  study.  He  became  a  ripe  scholar. 
All  his  acquisitions  in  learning  were  made  to  contribute  to 
Buccess  in  the  ministry.     Everything  which  did  not  directly 


198  NECROLOGY. 


or  indirectly  further  this  grand  end,  was  cast  aside  as  worth- 
less. His  knowledge  of  the  languages  in  which  the  Scrip- 
tures were  originally  written,  was  thorough  and  extensive. 
It  was  his  daily  custom  to  study  the  Bible,  both  in  the  Greek 
and  Hebrew.  The  Bible,  indeed,  was  his  great  store-house 
of  knowledge.  In  one  sense,  he  was  a  man  of  one  book. 
He  prized  the  Bible  above  all  human  productions.  In  every 
disputed  question  connected  with  theology,  he  first  asked, 
"What  saith  the  Lord?  and  when  he  had  ascertained  the 
mind  of  the  Spirit,  his  opinions  were  irreversibly  fixed.  He 
was  well  read  in  the  writings  of  those  learned  divines  whose 
labors  have  thrown  so  much  light  upon  the  Scriptures.  Few, 
if  any,  excelled  him  in  his  knowledge  of  the  history  of  the 
church.  Having  been  called  twice  to  the  chair  of  Church 
History  and  Polity,  in  the  Seminary  at  Columbia,  he  gave 
particular  attention  to  this  branch  of  theological  learning. 
The  last  and  best  years  of  his  life  were  spent  in  giving  to 
the  world  his  researches  upon  this  subject,  and  his  book, 
when  published,  will  be  a  most  valuable  contribution  to  the 
literature  of  the  church,  and  a  lasting  monument  of  his 
learning,  wisdom,  and  zeal. 

But'the  pulpit  was  his  appropriate  place.  Here  the  pow- 
ers of  his  gifted  mind  were  brought  into  most  vigorous  exer- 
cise. His  whole  appearance  in  the  pulpit  indicated  the 
greatest  solemnity  and  reverence.  He  felt  the  awful  re- 
sponsibility- which  rested  upon  him  as  the  ambassador  of 
Christ  to  dying  sinners.  His  subject  was  always  well  di- 
gested. He  seized  the  strong  points  of  his  text,  and  pre- 
sented them  with  plainness  and  simplicity,  which  made  them 
level  to  the  comprehension  of  the  most  illiterate,  and  at  the 
same  time  with  a  force  and  eloquence  which  would  interest 
and  instruct  the  most  learned  and  refined  in  the  congrega- 
tion. He  would  become  all  absorbed  in  his  subject,  and  at 
times  would  rise  to  the  highest  flights  of  eloquence.  He 
usually  drew  his  happiest  figures   and  illustrations  from  na- 


REV.    CHARLES    COLCOCK   JONES,  D.  D.  199 

ture,  and  these  always  beautified  his  discourse.  There  was 
a  fervor  and  unction  about  his  preaching  not  often  equalled. 
His  sei-mons  to  the  colored  people  were  adapted  to  their 
comprehension.  He  sought  to  instruct  and  interest  them. 
Probably  no  man  in  this  country  so  well  understood  their 
character.  He  had  studied  it  with  a  view  of  adapting  his 
labors  to  their  capacity.  And  most  signal  has  his  success 
been  among  this  people.  They  loved  and  honored  him. 
They  felt  that  he  was  their  best  friend.  Whenever  it  was 
known  that  he  was  to  preach,  they  flocked  to  the  house 
of  worship,  and  sat  at  his  feet  for  instruction.  His  labors 
have  been  crowned  with  abundant  success,  and  many  have 
been  hopefully  converted  under  hi-s  preaching.  Eternity 
alone  will  disclose  the  amount  of  good  he  was  enabled,  by 
divine  grace,  to  accomplish.  He  now  rests  from  his  labors, 
and  his  "  works  do  follow  him." 

The  high  estimation'in  which  he  was  held  by  his  brethren 
of  the  Presbytery  of  Georgia,  is  thus  appropriately  expressed : 

"We  cannot  close  this  imperfect  memorial  of  this  eminent 
servant  of  God,  without  expressing  our  high  appreciation  of 
his  character,  gifts  and  services,  and  our  sincere  sorrow  over 
the  removal  of  the  brightest  ornament  of  our  Presbytery — 
its  strong  staff  and  beautiful  rod.  And  while  in  confident 
belief  that  our  loss  is  his  unspeakable  gain,  we  cheerfully 
bow  to  the  will  of  Heaven,  and  sincerely  sympathize  with 
the  family  of  our  revered  brother.  We  resolve  .^hat  we  will 
ever  cherish  his  memory,  and  by  God's  grace  endeavor  to 
follow  his  faith,  considering  the  end  of  his  conversation, 
Jesus  Christ,  the  same  yesterday,  to-day,  and  forever." 

We  cannot  forbear  subjoining  the  testimony  of  the  Synod 
of  Georgia,  as  a  ratification  of  all. that  is  said  of  him  in  the 
preceding  memorial.  At  its  sessions  in  Athens,  Nov.,  1853, 
the  Synod  thus  speaks  : 

"Though  eminently  successful  as  a  pastor,  instructive  and 
honored  as  a  professor,  and  pre-eminent  in  his  management 


200  NECROLOGY. 


of  the  affairs  of  the  Board  of  Domestic  Missions,  yet  his 
labors  for  the  servants  of  the  South  was  his  great  work.  He 
ever  felt  it  to  be  so,  and  for  the  manner  in  which  he  fulfilled 
his  mission,  'his  praise  is  in  all  the  churches,'  and  his  name 
will  be  had  in  '  everlasting  remembrance.'  " 

As  a  man.  Doctor  Jones  was  a  fine  example  of  the  Chris- 
tian gentleman.  Easy  and  unaffected,  and  courteous  in  his 
manners,  ample  and  generous  in  his  hospitalities,  sincere, 
warm,  and  abiding  in  his  friendships,  a  charming  companion 
in  his  associations  with  his  fellow-men. 

As  a  preacher,  he  was  sound,  practical,  and  popular. 
Few  persons  exceeded  him  in  the  clearness  and  power  with 
which  he  uttered  and  enforced  truth,  and  in  the  earnestness, 
and  at  the  same  time  the  dignity,  with  which  he  stood  in  the 
place  of  Christ  and  besought  men  to  be  reconciled  to  God. 
His  ministry  was  an  eminently  useful  one,  and  in  his  death 
the  church  has  sustained  a  great  loss,  and  by  it  we  are  im- 
pressively reminded,  that  our  best  brethren,  most  talented, 
useful,  and  beloved,  cannot  continue,  by  reason  of  death." 

Frmn  Rev.  John  Jones. 
Dr.  J.  S.  Wii-soN, 

Bed.  and  Dear  Brother : — In  compliance  with  your  request,  I 
send  you  a  brief  sketcli  of  the  missionary  life  of  Dr.  C.  C.  Jones  among 
the  negroes  of  Georgia. 

In  order  to  be  distinct,  I  will  arrange  the  following  statements  under 
four  heads : 

First,  the  place  and  time  of  his  labors.  Second,  the  amount  of  labor 
bestowed.  Third,  the  self-denial  and  exhausting  character  of  his  work. 
Fourth,  the  fruits  and  results: 

1st.  Although  Dr.  Jones  preached  occasionally  to  colored  people  in 
various  parts  of  Georgia,  his  permanent  scene  of  labor  was  Liberty,  his 
native  county,  and  the  home  of  liis  parents  and  grand-parents.  He  had 
three  principal  stations :  Midwaj',  where  the  African  church,  erected 
after  the  commencement  of  his  mission,  and  by  his  efforts  and  contribu- 
tions, stood  i^ard  l>y  ili.it  venerable  building  in  which  four  successive 
generations  of  whites  and  blacks  have  worshipped  together;  Newport,  a 
Baptist  church,  central  to  a  large  negro  population ;  and  Pleasant  Grove, 
a  church  erected  chiefly  by  his  energy.    There  was  also  another  station. 


REV.    CHARLES    COLCOCK   JONES,    D.  D.  201 


called  Hutchison,  where  he  occasionally  preached,  erected  also  through 
his  instrumentality. 

TIME  DEVOTED  TO  THE   WORK. 

His  mind  was  turned  to  the  religious  instruction  of  the  negroes  whilst 
a  student  of  theology.  He  graduated  at  Princeton  Seminary,  in  1830, 
was  licensed  by  New  Brunswick  Presbytery,  and  returned  home  with  his 
heart  fixed  on  the  colored  population.  But  deeming  it  best  to  enter  the 
field  with  due  preparation,  he  accepted  a  call  to  the  First  Presbyterian 
church  of  Savannah,  in  the  spring  of  1831.  He  continued  in  Savannah 
until  November,  1832,  taking  the  liveliest  interest  in  the  instruction  of 
the  blacks,  and  devoting  to  them  much  attention,  in  addition  to  the 
usual  duties  of  his  charge,  preaching  once  every  Sabbath  for  them.  He 
then  moved  to  Liberty  county,  and  entered  upon  the  chosen  work  of  his 
life. 

He  formed,  at  the  beginning,  among  the  planters  of  the  county,  an 
Association  for  the  religious  instruction  of  the  colored  population.  This 
Association  was  not  denominational.  It  held  regular  annual  meetings, 
to  which  the  Missionary  made  a  report  of  his  labors,  and  inspired  an  in- 
terest in  his  work. 

These  annual  meetings  were  deeply  interesting,  and  were  often  attended 
by  the  best  citizens  from  the  adjoining  counties. 

Dr.  Jones  labored  in  this  field  during  the  years  of  1833,  '34,  '35,  '36. 
In  November  of  1836  he  was  elected  by  the  Synod  of  South  Carolina  and 
Georgia  to  the  Professorship  of  Ecclesiastical  History  and  Church  Polity, 
in  the  Columbia  Theological  Seminary.  He  passed  two  years  in  Colum- 
bia. During  his  professorship  he  constantly  held  up  before  tiie  students 
the  colored  field,  and  labored  personally  for  the  negroes,  by  preaching, 
and  the  formation  and  personal  superintendence  of  a  Sabbath  school  of 
200  scholars. 

He  returned  to  Liberty  county  in  the  close  of  1838,  and  resumed  labor 
among  the  colored  people,  who  gave  him  a  most  hearty  and  grateful 
welcome.  His  return  seemed  to  receive  the  divine  sanction,  by  a  special 
and  protracted  outpouring  of  the  Spirit  on  his  work,  early  in  1839. 

He  continued  in  this  field  for  ten  successive  years,  the  prime  of  his  life, 
until  he  was  again  called  to  the  same  chair  in  the  Theological  Seminary. 
He  remained  in  Columbia  during  1849  and  the  seminary  year  of  1850. 
Having  experienced  a  most  solemn  providence  in  the  loss,  by  fire,  of  his 
library,  and  lectures,  and  sermons,  and  manuscripts,  and  all  household 
valuables,  and  the  bare  escape  of  himself  and  family,  and  having  been, 
soon  after  this  calamity,  elected  Secretary  of  the  Board  of  Domestic  Mis- 
sions of  0.  S.  General  Assembly,  he  removed  to  Philadelphia  in  October 
1850,  and  there  remained  for  three  years,  until  prostrated  by  excessive 
labor  and  devotion  to  his  office,  he  was  compelled  to  return  to  his  home 
in  Liberty  county,  in  the  fall  of  1853. 


202  NECROLOGY. 


He  again  resumed  his  work  among  the  colored  people.  He  was  spared 
until  the  IGth  of  March,  1863.  During  this  period  he  labored  beyond  his 
ability,  with  a  zeal  and  devotion,  azid  success,  which  increased  as  his 
years  and  strength  declined.  When  no  longer  able  to  stand,  he  would 
preach  sitting  in  the  pulpit.  And,  especially  was  he  devoted  to  the  in- 
struction of  his  own  servants,  both  in  the  home  chapel  and  in  the  family 
mansion,  where  they  came  for  pergonal  conversation  and  teaching,  and 
many  of  them  were  brought  into  the  church  of  God. 

Thus  it  will  be  seen,  that  the  morning,  the  meridian,  and  the  evening 
of  his  ministry,  were  devoted  to  this  chosen  field  of  life. 

II.      THE   AMOUNT  OF  LABOR  BESTOWED. 

His  work  commenced  in  his  study.  His  preparations  for  the  Sabbath 
were  made  most  carefully,  and  with  critical  examinations  of  the  original 
Scriptures.  His  sermons  were  often  expository,  and  dwelling  on  many 
verses,  sometimes  a  chapter,  and  occasionally  a  short  book  of  the  Bible. 
Ou  Sabbat li  he  rode  to  the  stations,  generally  on  horseback.  The  labors 
of  the  day  were  introduced  by  a  prayer  meeting  and  a  watchman's  meet- 
ing. Then  followed  the  regular  services  of  the  morning.  The  third  service 
was  a  patient  inquiry  meeting,  to  which  all  were  encouraged  to  come  who 
desired  personal  instruction.  This  meeting  was  regularly  held,  and  he 
prized  it  very  highly,  having  long  tested  its  practical  value.  The  closing 
exercise  of  the  day  was  the  Sabbath  school,  in  which  lie  taught.hymns 
and  his  catechism'.  Into  these  schools  he  gathered  all  ages,  but  especi- 
ally children  and  youth.  All  recited  together.  These  schools  evinced 
the  efBcieucy  of  oral  instruction.  They  were  remarkable  for  their  ani- 
mation, proficiency,  and  accuracy;  and  their  catechatical  instructions 
received  the  special  sanction  of  God,  the  Holy  Spirit. 

Such  were  the  Sabbath  labors  of  our  Missionary.  He  literally  worked 
while  the  day  lasted,  and  the  sun  was  usually  ia  the  tops  of  the  trees, 
and  the  shadows  of  evening  fast  gathering,  before  he  turned  his  face 
homeward.  In  addition  to  the  Sabbath  labors,  lie  had,  during  seven 
mouths  of  the  year,  when  at  his  winter  home,  his  plantation  meetings 
from  once  to  thrice  a  week.  These  meetings  were  at  niglit.  He  would 
ride  on  the  saddle  from  three  to  ten  miles  to  some  plantation,  preach  and 
return  home,  however  late  the  hour  or  long  the  distance.  The  planta- 
tion meetings  he  regarded  as  very  useful,  but  they  were  a  great  draught 
on  his  constitution. 

III.       THE   SELF-DENIAL  AND   EXHAUSTING  NATURE   OP   HIS  LABORS. 

It  was  a  self-denial  when  he  commenced,  because  the  work  was  un- 
popular and  untried.  He  went  into  it  alone.  Many  thought  it  would 
prove  a  failure.  Numerous  otfter  fields  were  open  and  inviting  in  the 
South,  to  which  he  received  calls,  and  the  laborers,  especially  native 
Presbyterian  ministers,  were  very  few.    His  labors  were  confined  to  a 


REV.    CHARLES    COLCOCK   JONES,    D.  D.  203 


warm,  clamp,  and  exceedingly  depressing  climate.  He  conducted  the 
singing,  as  well  as  the  other  exercises  of  the  Sabbath.  It  was  a  day  of 
earnest,  continued  labor,  away  from  home,  and  allowing  no  intervals  of 
short  repose.  His  plantation  work  was  particularly  exhausting  and 
drastick.  It  required  an  iron  constitution  to  stand  exposure  to  the  dews 
and  frosts,  and  swamp  atmosphere  of  Liberty  county.  Frequently  he 
wonld  return  home  in  mid-winter  and  at  mid-night,  with  feet  and  cloth- 
ing perfectly  soaked,  from  the  watery  roads  and  night  dews. 

From  such  labors  his  constitution  received  that  severe  shock  which 
"resulted  in  a  premature  decay  of  health,  and  the  going  down  of  his  sun, 
long  before  the  autumn  of  old  age. 

IV.     THE  FRUITS  AND  RESULTS  OP  HIS  LABORS. 

The  fruits  were  seen  in  the  increased  intelligence,  good  order,  neatness, 
and  general  morality  of  the  colored  people ;  their  elevated  regard  for 
marriage  vows,  and  attention  to  the  morals  and  manners  of  their  chil- 
dren. Scriptural  kowledge  abounded  in  comparison  with  the  past.  The 
accurate  acquaintance  with  the  catechism  displayed  by  many  was  aston- 
ishing, and  most  gratifying ;  and  God,  the  Holy  Spirit,  was  pleased  to 
honor  his  labors,  in  the  conversion  of  many  souls.  The  good  seed  was 
continually  watered.  But  there  was  one  season  particularly  distinguished 
by  a  remarkable  and  protracted  outpouring  of  the  Spirit.  It  commenced 
early  in  1839,  and  continued  for  eighteen  months,  and,  the  fruits  were  an 
addition  to  the  churches  of  the  county  of  300  converts.  And  the  general 
results  of  his  labors  were  seen  among  the  whites  as  well  as  the  negroes 
— an  extended  interest  on  the  subject,  into  other  communities  and  regions 
of  the  South,  an  increased  attention  to  the  physical,  as  well  as  the  moral, 
condition  of. the  colored  race;  the  erection  of  neighborhood  and  planta- 
tion chapels ;  the  multiplying  of  plantation  and  family  schools,  in  which 
Jones'  catechism  was  taught;  a  greater  devotion  of  time  to  the  negroes, 
by  churches  and  pastors;  and  a  general  awakening,  throughout  the 
South,  to  the  duty  of  systematic  religious  instruction  to  the  blacks. 

In  fact,  the  work  of  Dr.  Jones  for  the  spiritual  elevation  of  the  colored 
race,  was  a  decided  success,  in  his  own  county,  and  throughout  the 
South.  His  catechism  (which  has  been  translated  into  three  Foreign 
languages,  and  is  successfully  taught  in  China  and  Turkey,)  will  remain 
as  a  witness  of  his  devotion  and  adaptation  to  his  work.  His  book  on 
the  "  Religious  Instruction  of  the  Negroes,"  and  his  other  writings  on  that 
subject,  including  his  last  public  utterances  before  the  Confederate  Gen- 
eral Assembly  at  Augusta,  Georgia,  in  December,  1861,  all  attest  that  he 
was  singly,  earnestly  consecrated  to  one  great  mission  of  life. 

He  was  eminently  the  friend  of  the  colored  race,  and  to  them,  without 
salary  or  earthly  compensation,  constrained  hj  the  love  of  Christ,  he 
gave  a  life  remarkable  for  its  continuation  of  untiring  zeal  and  energy, 


204  NECROLOGY. 


with  a  solid  mind  and  matured  judgment.    He  has  rested  from  his  la- 
bors, and  his  works  do  follow  him. 

Very  truly  and  respectfully  yours, 

J.  JONES. 

Desirous  of  presenting  as  full  and  complete  account  of  the 
labors  of  Dr.  Jones  in  that  field  to  which  most  of  his  life 
was  devoted — preaching  to  the  colored  people,  and  otherwise 
seeking  their  spiritual  welfare — the  following  paper  has  been 
prepared,  by  one  who  knew  him  better  than  any  other  living 
being — his  wife. 

As  will  be  seen,  it  is  principally  extracts  from  the  annual 
reports  made  to  the  association,  organized  in  Liberty  county, 
to  promote  the  instruction  of  the  colored  people,  and  especi- 
ally from  the  Tenth  Annual  Report,  which  comprised  a 
review  of  the  past  years,  and  the  plans  devised  for  prosecu- 
ting the  work. 

It  is  proper  that  the  world  should  know  something  of  the 
extent  of  that  work,  which  this  good  man  accomplished  by 
his  personal  labors,  and  the  influence  which  flowed  from  them 
to  other  portions  of  our  country. 

It  will  not  be  extravagant  to  say,  that  more  was  done  for 
the  solid  benefit  of  the  negro,  through  his  instrumentality, 
than  has  since  been  efi'ected  by  all  the  Freedman  Bureaus  in 
the  land. 

In  the  life  of  Rev.  C.  C.  Jones,  D.  D.,  was  illustrated 
true  refinement  and  sensibility,  high  cultivation  of  mind  and 
manners,  with  all  the  ennobling  and  honorable  principles 
which  constitute  true  greatness  in  character.  Hallowed  by 
the  purifying  and  sanctifying  grace  of  God  upon  his  heart, 
time,  talents,  and  earthly  possessions  were  consecrated  to 
his  Divine  Master's  service,  in  imitation  of  whose  gracious 
example  he  esteemed  it  his  highest  honor  to  preach  the 
"gospel  to  the  poor."  It  has  been  remarked  by  a  ministe- 
rial brother,  who  knew  him  intimately,  and  day  by  day 
witnessed  his  godly  life,  that  he  considered  him  "  the  most 


REV.    CHARLES   COLCOCK  JONES,   D.  D.  205 

thoroughly  converted  man  he  ever  knew."  There  was  an 
honesty,  an  uprightness,  a  thorough  integrity  of  purpose,  a 
devout  and  reverential  regard,  an  acknowledgment,  appear- 
ing at  all  times  and  in  all  places,  of  the  Divine  presence,  and 
his  own  accountability  to  the  great  head  of  the  Church.  In 
the  positions  of  influence  he  was  called  to  occupy,  amid  the 
trials  and  varying  circumstances  of  life,  in  all  the  tender  rela- 
tions he  bore  to  his  own  family  and  friends,  his  obligations 
to  society  and  to  his  country,  and,  above  all,  to  the  sacred 
cause  of  Christ,  it  may  truthfully  be  said,  that  his  whole  life 
was  passed  in  the  unquestioning  performance,  to  each  and  to 
all,  of  every  duty. 

It  is  hoped  ^that,  at  some  future  time,  a  more  extended 
memoir  may  be  prepared  of  this  truly  good  and  eminent 
servant  of  God.  We  present  only  brief  extracts  from  the 
reports,  which  he  made  annually,  of  his  missionary  labor,  to 
the  "Association  for  the  Religious  Instruction"  of  the  ne- 
groes in  Liberty  county,  Ga.  During  seventeen  years  of 
the  most  vigorous  portion  of  his  life,  this  was  the  chosen 
field  of  devoted  efforts  for  their  evangelization  and  elevation. 
They  also  were  instrumental  in  awakening  and  increasing  an 
extensive  interest,  not  only  among  Presbyterians,  but  also 
among  all  the  Christian  denominations  throughout  the  South- 
ern States,  and  he  was  honored  with  the  friendship  and 
confidence,  and  held  correspondence  with  the  best  and  wisest 
clergymen  and  philanthropists,  who  sympathized  and  aided 
in  this  great  work.  His  missionary  journals,  and  most  of 
his  correspondence,  were  destroyed  by  fire,  in  Columbia, 
South  Carolina. 

Preaching  to  the  negroes  he  regarded  as  the  work  to 
which  he  was  called  of  God.  His  labors  were  gratuitous, 
and  although  blessed  with  the  means  of  making  them  with- 
out charge,  they  nevertheless  involved  self-denial  and  per- 
sonal exertion,  in  every  form,  for  their  accomplishment. 

These  extracts  are  from  the  Tenth  Annual  Report,  pre- 


206  ....  NECROLOGY. 


sented  in  1844,  and  contain  a  review  of  missionary  labor  up 
to  that  period : 

"  The  present  Annual  Meeting  completes  the  tenth  entire 
year  of  my  labors  as  missionary  to  the  negroes  of  this  county, 
and,  with  some  interruptions,  the  fourteenth  of  my  connec- 
tion, in  one  form  or  other,  with  this  Association.  Is  it  not, 
then,  a  fitting  occasion  for  a  review  of  the  work  which  has 
for  so  long  a  time  occupied  our  hearts  and  our  hands  ? 

"  I  commenced  my  labors  on  the  2d  of  December,  1832. 
The  Lord  had  opened  the  door ;  a  great  work  was  to  be  done, 
but  to  me  it  was  almost  entirely  new.  There  were  no  prece- 
dents in  our  country  to  which  I  could  look  for  encourage- 
ment and  instruction.  The  work  was  one  of  exceeding 
delicacy.  A  slighf  impropriety  might  ruin  it,  while  on  its 
success  the  spiritual  welfare  of  multitudes  might  depend. 
The  public  mind  was  sensitive  and  tender  ;  there  were  fears 
and  there  were  objections.  Som«  of  them  I  had  heard  ex- 
pressed in  no  measured  terms.  I  laid  down  the  following 
rules  of  action,  which  I  have  ever  since  endeavored  to  ob- 
serve faithfully : 

1.  To  visit  no  plantation  without  permission,  and  never 
without  previous  notice. 

2.  To  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  civil  condition  of  the 
negroes,  or  with  their  plantation  affairs. 

3.  To  hear  no  tales  respecting  their  owners,  or  drivers,  or 
work,  and  to  keep  within  my  own  breast  whatever  of  a  pri- 
vate nature  might  incidentally  come  to  my  knowledge. 

4.  To  be  no  party  to  their  quarrels,  and  have  no  quarrels 
with  them ;  but  cultivate  justice,  impartiality,  and  universal 
kindness. 

5.  To  condemn,  without  reservation,  every  vice  and  evil 
custom  among  them,  in  the  terms  of  God's  holy  word,  and 
to  inculcate  the  fulfilment  of  every  duty,  whatever  might  be 
the  real  or  apparent  hazard  of  popularity  or  success. 


REV.    CHARLES    COLCOCK   JONES,    D.  D.  2C^7 

6.  To  preserve  the  most  perfect  order  at  all  our  public  and 
private  meetings. 

7.  To  impress  the  people  with  the  great  value  of  the  priv- 
ilege enjoyed  of  religious  instruction ;  to  invite  their  co-op- 
eration, and  throw  myself  on  their  confidence  and  support. 

8.  To  make  no  attempt  to  create  temporary  excitements, 
or  to  introduce  any  new  plans  or  measures,  but  make  diligent 
and  prayerful  use  of  the  ordinary  and  established  means  of 
grace  of  God's  appointment. 

9.  To  support  in  the  fullest  manner  the  peace  and  order 
of  society,  and  to  hold  up  to  their  respect  and  obedience  all 
those  whom  God  in  His  providence  has  placed  in  authority 
over  them. 

10.  And  to  notice  no  slights  nor  unkindnesses  shown  to 
me  personally;  to  dispute  with  no  man  about  the  work,  but 
to  depend  upon  the  power  of  truth,  and  upon  the  spirit  and 
blessing  of  God,  with  long  suffering,  patience  and  persever- 
ance, to  overcome  opposition  and  remove  prejudices,  and 
ultimately  bring  all  things  right. 

"  The  Association  went  quietly  and  unobtrusively  into 
operation.  Upon  inquiry,  near  fifty  plantations  were  re- 
ported as  being  open  for  instruction,  and  this  large  number 
convinced  us,  of  the  favorable  disposition  of  planters  towards 
our  work,  which  was  viewed  by  all  as  an  experiment.  Four 
stations  were  occupied  in  rotation  on  the  Sabbath,  and  a 
lecture  every  Thursday  evening  during  the  summer  and  au- 
tumn at  Walthourville.  The  general  plan  of  instruction  (for 
system  is  everything)  laid  out  in  my  own  mind,  was  to  ac- 
quaint the  people  with  the  main  facts  of  sacred  history,  the 
Creation,  the  Fall,  the  Flood,  the  call  of  Abraham,  the  insti- 
tution of  God's  visible  church,  the  destruction  of  Sodom,  the 
giving  of  the  Law,  the  Birth,  the  Life,  the  Wonderful  Works, 
the  Character,  the  Sufferings,  the  Death,  the  Resurrection, 
the  Ascension  of  the  Divine  Redeemer,  the  Descent  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  the  Missions  and  Labors  of  the  Apostles,  and 


208  NECROLOGY. 


then  all  the  great  doctrines  of  the  Gospel :  Depravity,  Atone- 
ment, Justification,  Regeneration,  Repentance,  Faith,  the 
Law  and  its  uses,  Relative  Duties,  &c.  This  plan  was  stead- 
ily pursued,  though  the  subjects  did  not  succeed  each  other 
in  the  regular  order  here  indicated.  At  first  I  preached  two 
sermons  morning  and  afternoon.  An  Inquiry  Meeting 
closed  the  labors  of  the  Sabbath.  My  first  attempt  at  teach- 
ing or  instruction  was  with  the  members  of  the  church.  A 
Bible  class,  or  class  of  instruction,  was  formed,  and  over 
three  hundred  names  were  enrolled. 

"  My  second  attempt  was  with  the  children  and  youth,  be- 
ing convinced  that  our  main  hope  of  success,  in  our  work, 
lay  in  bringing  them  under  regular  instruction.  Being  the 
only  teacher,  I  was  compelled  to  throw  the  whole  school  into 
one  class.  The  lesson  was  accompanied  with  repeated  ex- 
planations and  an  application.  I  taught  them  psalms  and 
hymns,  and  made  use  also  of  Scripture  cards.  I  tried  all 
the  catechisms.  Necessity  finally  forced  me  to  attempt 
something  myself.  I  prepared  lessons  weekly,  and  tried  and 
Corrected  them  from  the  schools,  and  the  result  was  '  The 
Catechism  of  Scripture  Doctrine  and  Practice,'  which  has 
been  for  several  years  in  use  in  this  county  and  elsewhere 
in  the  Southern  States.  Since  the  publication  of  this  cate- 
chism I  have  prepared  one  on  the  creed,  and  a  historical 
catechism,  embracing  both  the  Old  and  New  Testament.  The 
second  year,  1834,  was  marked  by  a  large  increase  of  Sab- 
bath school  instruction,  and  instruction  upon  plantations,  by 
owners  themselves.  One  gentleman  gave  fifty  dollars  for 
the  instruction  of  the  children  under  his  care,  and  eight 
nfembers  of  the  Association  offered  fifty  dollars  each  for  a 
missionary  to  labor  as  my  assistant  on  their  plantations  ;  but 
we  could  procure  no  suitable  person. 

"  The  vacations  in  the  Seminary,  from  July  to  October, 
1837  and  1838,  were  spent  in  Liberty,  preaching  to  the  ne- 
groes.    A  revival  of  religion,  taking  its  rise  in  the  summer 


REV.    CHARLES    COLCOCK   JONES,    D.  D.  209 


of  1838,  continued  until  the  close  of  1842.  One  hundred 
and  twelve  inquirers  were  registered,  coming  from  fifty  dif- 
ferent plantations.  Fully  four-fifths  of  the  inquirers  were 
from  the  Sahhath  schools.  There  were  seven  schools  in  op- 
wation  during  the  year,  with  four  hundred  and  fifty-five 
scholars  and  thirty-one  teachers.  From  August,  1838,  to 
January,  1840,  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  negroes  were> 
admitted  to  the  difi"erent  Churches.  The  year  following  there^ 
were  one  hundred  and  forty-three  admissions. 

"This  Association  has  been  in  existence  fourteen  years,  and 
with  the  exception  of  three  years,  in  active  operation  eleven 
years.  During  this  time  it  has  accomplished  much.  Through 
its  Missionary  it  has  furnished  to  the  negroes  of  the  Fifteenth 
District,  embracing  a  population  of  over  four  thousand,  reg- 
ular preaching  on  the  Sabbath,  at  stations  so  conveniently 
situated  as  to  bring  the  Gospel  very  nearly  in  reach  of  all 
who  chose  to  avail  themselves  of  the  privilege  of  hearing  it, 

"  It  has  established  and  kept  in  operation  four  large  Sabbath 
schools  for  children  and  youth,  in  the  instruction  of  which 
adults  also,  in  considerable  numbers,  have  shared. 

"  It  has  maintained  inquiry  meetings,  to  aid  those  who  were 
in  spiritual  darkness  or  distress,  and  hundreds  have  been  as- 
sisted by  them. 

"  It  has  pursued  a  system  of  plantation  meetings.  These 
meetings  have  upheld  religion  on  the  plantations,  impressed 
the  careless,  restrained  the  vicious,  promoted  the  observance 
of  the  Lord's  day^  and  induced  the  attendance  of  old  and 
young  at  the  house  of  God. 

"  Members  of  the  Association  have  made  efforts  to  instruct 
their  own  people  on  their  plantations,  by  means  of  schools 
and  evening  prayers.  Eight  annual  reports  and  three  ad- 
dresses have  been  published  and  circulated  throughout  the 
United  States,  and  an  extensive  correspondence  conducted 
through  the  Missionary. 

"  The  general  character  of  the  negroes,   coEiparing  the 
14 


210  NECROLOGY. 


present  with  the  past,  is  much  improved.  Running  away, 
theft,  lewdness,  profane  swearing  and  filthy  conversation, 
quarreling  and  fighting,  witchcraft,  Sabbath  breaking,  drunk- 
enness, violations  of  the  marriage  contract,  idleness  and 
indifference  to  their  own  comfort,  and  infidelity  in  work, 
have  diminished.  Their  appearance  and  manners  are  changed 
for  the  better  ;  greater  numbers  attend  the  house  of  God.  In 
respect  to  religious  knowledge,  they  are  not  the  same  people; 
and  by  Divine  blessing  upon  the  means  of  grace,  some  hun- 
dreds of  them  have  been  hopefully  converted  and  received 
into  the  Churches,  most  of'whom  remain  to  the  present  hour, 
but  some  have  fallen  asleep  in  the  hope  of  eternal  life. 

"  The  religious  instruction  of  the  negroes  is  a  laborious, 
self-denying  work,  and  requires  time  to  develop  results.  The 
missionary  is  calJed  to  pr^ch  in  all  sorts  of  houses  and 
places.  He  is  obliged  to  take  lonely  rides  at  late  hours  of 
night,  through  frosts  and  dews  ;  to  go  over  and  over  the  same 
course  of  instruction,  "and  simplify  and  repeat,  and  repeat 
and  [simplify,"  and  to  witness  the  slow  progress  of  oral  in- 
struction. He  is  not  to  be  astonished  at  the  ignorance, 
superstition  and  hardness  of  the  people;  nor  to  be  depressed 
and  driven  from  the  field  by  want  of  sympathy  or  assistance 
on  the  part  of  Christian  brethren,  even  in  the  ministry;  nor 
is  he  to  regard  those  who  decry  his  eflForts  as  feeble,  and  hia 
j)rospects  as  hopeless.  He  must,  in  a  sense,  be  a  man  of 
stone,  having  neither  sight,  nor  hearing,  nor  feeling,  firmly 
staoding  in  his  place.  Yet  must  he  also  be  all  eye,  all  ear, 
all  feeling,  all  activity.  Faith  in  God  and  the  love  of  souls 
must  bear  him  through.  Hence,  those  who  possess  no  energy 
and  decision  of  character,  no  true  love  for  the  poor  perishing 
people,  no  patience,  no  perseverance,  no  self-denial,  will  not 
accompliK^h  much." 

For  many  years  there  were  five  hundred  children  under 
instruction  at  the  different  stations,  besides  private  schools. 
Tiiese  reports  to  the  Ass,ociation  form  a  volume  of  several 


REV.    CHARLES    COLCOCK   JONES,    D.  D.  211 

hundred  pages,  and  embody  a  history  of  the  work,  not  only 
in  Liberty  county,  but  throughout  the  Southern  States.  Dur- 
ing this  period  he  also  prepared  and  published  a  volume  of 
277  pages,  "  On  the  Religious  Instruction  of  the  Negroes  in 
the  United  States;"  also  "  Suggestions,"  to  be  used  as  a  man- 
ual "of  instruction  by  those  engaged  in  the  work.  The  Cat- 
chism  has  been  translated  into  three  foreign  languages,  and 
used  by  our  Missionaries. 

When  compelled  to  retire,  by  complete  failure  of  health, 
from  the  office  of  Secretary  of  the  Board  of  Domestic  Mis- 
sions, he  returned  to  his  own  home,  and  labored  until  the 
close  of  life  for  the  good  of  this  people,  in  the  church,  and 
the  bosom  of  his  own  household.  When  unable  to  stand,  he 
sat  upon  an  elevated  platform,  and  preached  to  them  in  the 
most  earnest  and  heavenly  manner.  These  years  of  compar- 
ative withdrawal  from  active  labor  were  constantly  occupied 
in  the  preparation  of  his  "  History  of  the  Church  of  God 
during  the  period  of  Revelation,"  which  is  now  in  the  process 
of  publication. 


REV.  GEORGE  WHITFIELD  LADSOIS'.  * 


George  Whitfield  Ladson,  the  youngest  child  of  William 
and  Cynthia  Ladson,  was  horn  June  10th,  1830,  at  Bethesda, 
near  Savannah,  Ga.  His  father  died  two  months  before  hia 
birth,  and  being  a  great  admirer  of  that  great  and  good  man 
who  founded  Bethesda,  requested,  on  his  death  bed,  that  his 
unborn  child,  if  a  son,  should  receive  the  name  of  George 
Whitfield.  Shortly  after  his  birth,  his  mother  removed  to 
Savannah,  where  the  seal  of  the  covenant  was  applied  to  her 
fatherless  boy,  by  the  beloved  and  venerated  Dr.  Preston, 
pastor  of  the  Independent  Presbyterian  Church.  When 
four  years  old,  he  was,  by  the  death  of  his  mother,  made  an 
orphan.  Though  so  young,  he  retained  a  vivid  recollection 
of  that  pious  mother  kneeling  with  him  in  prayer,  and  com- 
mitting him  to  the  care  of  that  God  who  has  said,  "  I  will 
be  a  God  to  thee,  and  thy  seed  after  thee."  After  her  death 
he  was  received  into  the  family  of  his  kinsman,  Mr.  John 
Dunwody,  of  Liberty  County,  where  he  ever  received  all  the 
care  and  afi'ection,  both  temporal  and  spiritual,  which  the 
heads  of  that  family,  with  pious  zeal  and  strict  integrity, 
bestowed  upon  th5ir  own  children.  So  long  as  they  lived  he 
had  a  child's  place  in  their  hearts,  and  to  this  day  the  chil- 
dren of  that  family  speak  of  him  with  as  much  afi'ection  as  if 
he  had  been  their  own  brother,  and  as  deeply  mourn  his 
death..  For  the  whole  family  he  ever  entertained  the  great- 
est afi'ection,  and  could  never  speak  of  their  kindness  to  him 
without  emotion.  He  often  said,  "All  I  am,  and  all  I  shall 
ever  be,  I  attribute,  under  God,  to  the  principles  of  honor, 
truth,  and  piety,  instilled  into  my  youthful  heart  by  those 
who  acted  towards  me  with  more  than  parental  care."     He 

*Froin  Mrs.  Ladfon,  Dr.  "Vyoodrow,  Rev.  Mr.  Green,  and  others. 

213 


REV.    GEORGE   WHITFIELD    LADSON.  213 

ever  spoke  of  them  with  the  greatest  reverence  and  respect. 
They  were  his  models  of  all  that  was  good  and  noble.  They 
lived  to  see  the  fruit  of  their  labors,  and  their  hearts  were 
greatly  rejoiced. 

When  six  years  old  his  uncle  Dunwody  removed  from  Lib- 
erty to  Roswell,  Cobb  county,  Ga.  He  remained  with  the 
family  until  his  fourteenth  year.  His  independent  spirit 
now  made  him  feel  that  he  ought  no  longer  to  be  dependent 
upon  his  kind  relations,  and,  therefore,  he  requested  of  them 
permission  to  let  him  go  and  provide  for  himself.  His  uncle 
was  very  desirous  that  he  should  receive  a  collegiate  educa- 
tion, as  his  own  sons  had  done,  but  this  he  refused.  At  his 
own  request  he  was  placed  in  a  printing  office  in  Marietta. 

Now  began  to  be  seen  the  effects  of  the  religious  training 
he  had  received  from  his  God-fearing  relatives;  and  even 
now,  though  he  was  still  an  "  alien  from  the  commonwealth 
of  Israel,  and  a  stranger  from  the  covenants  of  promise," 
their  prayers  were,  in  a  measure,  answered.  A  mere  boy, 
warm  and  social,  and  most  affectionate  in  his  disposition, 
brought  up  in  the  lap  of  elegance  and  refinement,  he  was  now 
thrown  daily,  with  not  only  the  rude  and  vulgar,  but  with 
the  profane  and  wicked.  Severe  as  was  the  test,  he  stood  it 
all,  and  came  out  of  the  fiery  ordeal  unscathed.  Never  as- 
sociating intimately  with  his  fellow-printers,  and  yet  doing 
his  appointed  work  so  promptly  as  to  gain  the  praise  and 
regard  of  his  employer,  so  that  for  days  together  he  would 
place  the  whole  office  under  the  care  and  direction  of  this 
mere  boy.  Even  now  he  made  duty  his  standard,  and  that 
was  his  motto  through  life.  While  at  Marietta  his  seat  was 
never  vacant  in  the  Sabbath  school,  nor  in  the  sanctuary, 
unless  he  was  sick,  or  on  a  visit  to  his  relatives  in  Roswell. 
Such  was  his  regard  for  the  Sabbath,  that  he  said,  ''  I  never 
but  once  openly  broke  that  holy  day,  and  that  week  every, 
thing  went  wrong  with  me."  His  motto  was,  "A  Sabbath 
well  spent  brings  a  week  of  content." 


214  NECROLOGY. 


He  served  his  time  in  Marietta,  and  then  went  to  Savan- 
nah. Here  he  entered  a  job-office  as  a  journeyman  printer, 
where,  by  his  prompt  attention  to  business,  he  once  more 
gained  the  confidence  of  his  employer.  There  was,  however, 
only  one  young  man  in  this  office  with  whom  he  could  asso- 
ciate, and  so  disgusted  did  he  become  with  the  vice  which 
surrounded  him,  that  he  determined  to  try  some  other  means 
of  support.  For  five  years  he  had  been  exposed  to  great 
temptations,  but  had  successfully  resisted  every  one.  No 
profane  word  had  ever  passed  his  lips ;  the  vulgar  jest  he 
abhorred;  he  shrank  from  the  intoxicating  cup  as  from  a 
serpent. 

His  reading  had  been  confined  to  poetry  and  history.  It 
was  then  that  his  brother,  who  was  a  merchant,  oiFered  him 
a  place  in  his  store,  which  he  accepted,  and  there  remained 
until  he  left  to  prepare  for  the  ministry.  So  upright  and 
moral  was  his  walk  and  conversation,  that  his  fellow-clerks 
called  him  "preacher."  But  though  so  strictly  moral,  he 
felt  himself  to  be  a  great  sinner,  and  knew  that  morality 
would  not  save  his  soul.  As  he  said  himself,  "  all  this  while, 
though  apparently  the  merriest  of  the  merry,  I  was  misera- 
hle.  I  never  had  a  happy  moment.  I  knew  that  if  I  should 
die  my  soul  would  sink  to  hell.  Such  had  been  my  training, 
that  ncyer  a  day  passed  without  reading  my  Bible  and  re- 
peating a  prayer.  Such  was  my  dread  of  death,  that  I  was 
often  afraid  to  go  to  sleep.  I  would  go  into  company,  and 
strive  in  this  way  to  forget  God;  but  the  moment  I  was  alone, 
all  my  fears  would  return."  He  was  a  regular  attendant  on 
the  ministry  of  Rev.  Mr.  Ross,  pastor  of  the  First  Presbyte- 
rian Church,  who  took  a  deep  interest  in  the  spiritual  welfare 
of  his  young  friend,  as  also  did  the  Rev.  Samuel  J.  Cassels. 
The  latter  offered  him  his  board  free,  "for,"  said  he,  "to 
have  his  boys  under  his  influence,  was  more  than  compensa-. 
tion  for  his  board."  He  formed  a  strong  attachment  for 
this  family,  which  continued  unabated  until  his  death.     He 


REV.    GEORGE    WniTFIELD    LADSON.  215 


ijemained  in  this  sad  state  of  mind  for  several  years,  foeling 
after  the  Saviour,  but  not   finding  Him.     At  hist  it  pleased 
God  to  take  from  him  his  burden,  and  reveal  Himscdf  to  him 
in  all  his  saving  power,  and  he  was  enabled  to  rejoice  in  his 
Saviour.     On  the  29th  of  June,  1851,  he  made  a  public  pro- 
fession  of   his   faith   in    Christ,  and  was   received   into   the 
communion  of  the  First  Church  of  Savannah ;   and  his  name 
still  remains   on  that  Church  roll.     With  him    nothing  was 
done  half  way,  and  when  he  gave  his  heart  to  the  Saviour, 
he  most  solemnly  consecrated  all  his  powers  to  the  service  of 
his  Master.     From   his  inmost  heart  he   could  exclaim,  V  I 
love  thy  kingdom,  Lord."   "Jesus  was  his  theme,  and  his  one 
desire  wa's  to  do  his  Master's  will,  and  be  all   things  to   ."11 
men,  so  that  he   might  win   souls.     He  immediately  took  an 
active  part  in  the  Sabbath  school  and  prayer  meetings,  and 
began  to  take  an  interest  in  the  class  of  people  to  whom  he 
afterwards  devoted  his  life.     His   friends   Ro.-s  and  Cassels 
ursred  him  to  study  for  the  rainistry,  but  he  sbrfink  from  the 
awful  responsibility.     God's   Spirit  would  riot,  however,  let 
him  rest,  and  when  he  was   sorely   exercised   as  to  what  was 
duty,  that  man  of  God,  Doctor  Daniel  Bak^^r,  visited  Savan- 
nan,  and,  without  hesitation,  told  him  that  '-.x    '"Avoe"  would 
be  pronounced  against   him   if  he.  preached  not  the  Gospel. 
He  decided  to  do  so,  and  "  0  what  joy,"  said  he,  "filled  my 
soul."     Now  was  seen  his  indomitable  will  an'l  perseverance. 
One  with  less  of  these  would  never  have  attempted  the  ardu- 
ous task.     But,  as  he  said,    "  the  love  of  Christ  constrained 
me.     I  felt  that  I  could  do  all  things  through  Him  strength- 
ening me.     I  had  many  difficulties  to  overcctme.    I  was  with- 
out means.     I  had  to  commence  at  the  very  foundation,  for 
I  had  only  a  mercantile  education.     Here  I  was,  arrived  at 
manhood,  and  iiine  years  of  study  before  I  could  be  received 
into  the  ministry.     The  prospect  was  dreary  enough,  but  He 
who  said,  '  I  will  never  leave  nor  forsake  thee,'  bade  me  go 
forward,  and  leaning  alone  on  my  Saviour  for  strength  and 


216  JTECROLOQT. 


grace  to  sustain,  teach,  and  guide,  I  determined  to  do  so. 
He  had  delivered  my  soul  from  hell,  and  should  I  shrink  from* 
any  course  that  might  honor  Him  or  advance  His  kingdom?" 
So  strong  was  his  faith,  that  the  want  of  means  gave  him  no 
uneasiness.  He  felt  that  if  God  had  called  him  to  the  work, 
He  would  provide  the  means,  and  in  this  he  was  not  disap- 
pointed. He  raised  up  for  him  many  kind  friends,  whom  he 
ever  held  in  grateful  remembrance. 

He  went  to  Roswell,  his  old  home,  and  entered  Dr.  Pratt's 
school,  who  kindly  offered  to  prepare  him  for  college.  While 
at  Roswell  he  gave  the  leisure  ho  could  command  from  his 
studies  to  labors  for  the  factory  people,  and,  more  especially^ 
to  that  which  became  the  great  work  of  his  life — thejeligious 
instruction  of  the  colored  people.  He  established  a  Sunday 
school  for  them,  and  was  instrumental  in  causing  a  Church 
to  be  built  for  their  use.  He  entered  Oglethorpe  University, 
and  though  the  demands  upon  his  time  and  strength  were 
very  great  to  keep  up  with  his  classes,  yet  he  held  prayer 
meetings  through  the  week  for  the  colored  people,  and  col- 
lected large  numbers  of  them  into  Sunday  schools  in  the 
neighboring  village  of  Scottsborough,  opening  two — one  for 
adults  and  the  (Jther  for  children.  His  labors  were  greatly 
blessed,  both  here  and  at  Roswell,  in  the  hopeful  conversion 
of  many  of  his  pupils. 

He  was  graduated  in  the  summer  of  1859.  In  September 
of  1859,  he  entered  upon  the  last  stage  of  his  preparatory 
studies,  in  the  Theological  Seminary  at  Columbia,  S.  C.  It 
should  have  been  noticed  in  its  proper  connection,  that  he 
was  taken  under  the  care  of  the  Presbytery  of  Georgia,  at  a 
meeting  held  in  Savannah,  in  October,  1853.  Soon  after 
entering  the  Seminary,  he  took  a  cLiss  of  boys  in  the  Sabbath 
school  of  the  Pi'esbyterian  Church,  and  for  three  years  most 
earnestly  did  e  .-tr  ve  to  win  them  to  Christ.  They  were 
made,  one  by  one,  the  subjects  of  special  prayer,  and  when 
it  became  necessary  to  give   up   the   class,  he   continued  to 


REV.  GEORGE  WHITFIELD  LADSON.         217 

feel  the  deepest  interest  in  their  welfare,  and  when  some  of 
them  went  into  the  army,  they  were  followed  by  his  prayers. 

Upon  his  resorting  to  Columbia  to  enter  upon  the  study  of 
theology,  a  still  wider  field  was  opened  before  him,  which  he 
was  not  slow  to  enter.  As  soon  as  practicable,  he  resumed 
the  work  so  dear  to  him,  establishing  Sunday  schools  and 
prayer  meetings,  and  in  every  way  doing  all  in  his  power  for 
the  people  to  whom  he  had  devoted  his  life.  He  began  a 
course  of  Sabbath  evening  lectures,  and  had  soon  a  crowded 
house.  The  Holy  Spirit  was  poured  out,  and  the  work  of 
God  revived.  It  was  not  long  before  the  spiritual  charge  of 
this  part  of  the  Church  was  almost  wholly  committed  to  him. 

He  was  licensed  to  preach  the  Gospel  by  the  Presbytery 
of  Georgia,  at  Waynesville,  Ga.,  in  April,  1861,  and  was  im- 
mediately thereafter  formally  appointed  missionary  to  the 
colored  people — their  pastor,  as  they  loved  to  call  him — in 
which  capacity  he  continued  to  spend  himself  until  he  ceased 
from  all  earthly  labor.  As  one  remarks,  "  he  threw  his 
whole  soul  into  the  work,  and,  night  after  night,  he  attended 
meetings  for  those  who  were  enquiring  the  way  of  salvation. 
Many  were  added  to  the  Church.  Almost  from  the  com- 
mencement of  his  work  among  the  people  of  his  last  charge, 
they  enjoyed  a  constant  revival.  Multitudes  thronged  to 
hear  his  instructions — more  than  could  be  accommodated  at 
the  place  of  worship  at  his  command,  so  that  it  became  one 
of  his  cherished  plans  to  secure  the  erection  of  a  large  Church 
building,  to  be  set  apart  exclusively  for  the  use  of  the  col- 
ored congregation.  At  taking  charge  of  the  work  in  Colum- 
bia, he  found  the  Church  with  about  twenty-five  colored 
members,  and  left  it,  at  the  close  of  his  brief  ministry,  with 
one  hundred  and  fifty,  notwithstanding  the  long  probation 
to  which  every  applicant  for  admission  was  subjected,  and 
the  care  taken  in  every  way  to  prevent  .the  reception  of  the 
unworthy.  At  every  communion  season  a  greater  or  less 
number  were  received  into  the  Church.    In  order  to  provide 


218  NECROLOGY. 


for  all  the  classes  who  desired  to  attend  upon  "his  ministra- 
tions, he  multiplied  meetings  to  an  extent  which  seemed 
injudicious  to  his  friends,  in  view  of  his  feeble  health.  But 
such  was  his  zeal  that  he  could  nc^t  be  persuaded  to  discon- 
tinue any  one  of  them.  He  usually  held  five  services  every 
Sunday,  viz  :  prayer  meeting  very  early  in  the  morning, 
preaching  at  eleven,  catechetical  exercises  for  children  at 
three,  and  for  adults  at  four,  and  preaching  again  at  night. 
Besides  these  there  were  three  meetings  during  the  week, 
one  for  the  special  instruction  of  inquirers,  and  the  others 
for  other  classes.  To  this  must  be  added  unusual  fidelity  in 
visiting  the  sick  and  dying,  and  other  pastoral  duties.  It  is 
not  strange  that  his  strength,  never  great,  gave  way  under 
such  unceasing  toil. 

In  the  summer  of  1860,  he  lectured  to  the  cadets  at  the 
Arsenal  every  Sabbath  morning.  They  heard  him  with  great 
respect  and  attention,  and  as  a  token  of  their  appreciation  of 
his  labors,  presented  him  with  a«  elegantly  bound  copy  of  the 
Holy  Scriptures.  On  the  4th  of  April,  1861,  hejvas  united 
in  marriage  to  Mrs.  J.  E.  Smith,  only  daughter  of  James 
Ewart,  late  of  Columbia.  At  WalthourviUe,  April  13th, 
1862,  he  was  ordained  as  an  evangelist,  by  the  Presbytery 
of  Georgia.  This  he  felt  to  be  the  most  solemn  step  of  his 
life.  Writing  to  his  wife  in  view  of  this  solemnity,  he  says ; 
"As  to  my  ordination,  I  feel  as  though  God  had  sent  me  to 
preach  Christ,  but  how  deplorably  unworthy  I  am.  I  fear  a 
proper  solemnity  does  not  possess  me;  yet  I  am  not  insensi- 
ble to  the  importance  of  the  position  in  which  I  hope  God  in 
his  mercy  will  soon  place  me.  0,  my  precious  wife,  what 
consolation  would  your  presence  give  me.  But  our  Saviour 
is  nigh,  though  I  have  as  yet  no  sweet,  exulting  view  of  His 
near  approach.  Trust  me  in  the  hands  of  Jesus.  Here  is 
where  I  hope  to  confide  during  my  examination  before  Pres- 
bytery." 
f     After  his  ordination,  he  received  calls  to  other  fields  of 


REV.    GEORGE   WHITFIELD   LADSON.  219 


labor;   but,  after  mucb  prayer,  he  decided  to  remain  in  Co- 
lumbia.    The  colored  people  of  that  city  earnestly  desired 
him  to  continue  to  minister  to  them,  and  showing  their  at- 
tachment to  him  in  many  ways  ;   and,  indeed,  he  was  never 
happier  than  when  instructing  and  preaching  to  them.     His 
friends  often  urged  him  to  curtail  his  labors.     They  saw  his 
unceasing- toil  was  wearing  him  out.     His  invariable  reply 
was,  "  0,  it  is  so  sweet  to  labor  for  such  a  Master."     Yet  he 
was  induced  to  take  a  few  weeks  rest  in  the  summer  of  1863, 
aftei-  which  he  returned  to  his  work  with  increased  vigor. 
He  considered  no  effort  too  great  to  win  souls  to  Christ.    He 
would  rise  at  the  midnight  hour,  although  so  feeble,  to  visit 
and  pray  with  the  dying.    He  rarely  passed  an  aged  servant 
in  the  street  without  speaking  to  him  of  his  soul's  welfare ; 
nor  did  he  ever  converse  with  any  one  without  giving  them 
some  word  of  warning  or  encouragement.     Jesus  was  the 
constant  theme  of  his  conversation — that  precious  name  was 
ever  on  his  lips.     At  home  or  abroad,  at  the  prayer  meeting 
or  in  the  pulpit,  it  was  his  unspeakable  delight  to  speak  of 
"Heaven,  sweet  Heaven,"  and  "My  blessed  Saviour,"  and 
there  was  such  a  pathos  and  tenderness  in  liis  words,  that  if 
any  one  loved  the  Saviour  his  heart  would  be  stirred  within 
him.     Were  it  admissible  to  give  the  more  private  history  of 
his  soul's  exercises — his  ardent  love  for  the  Saviour — his 
nearness  of  communion  with  Him — few  men,  we  judge,  since 
the  days  of  the  disci"ples,  could  with  more  emphasis  say, 
•*'  How  my  heart  did  burn  within  me,  while  he  manifested  to 
me  His  love."    Some  one  may  ask,  was  this  the  uniform  state 
of  his  feelings  ?     Had  he  no  dark  hours  ?     Though  he  had 
such  sweet  communion  with  his  Saviour,  yet  he  often  had 
seasons  of  darkness,  when  his  soul  was  fearfully  distressed, 
and  Satan  assailed  him  at  every  point.     The  sun  withdrew 
its  light,  and  thick  clouds  covered  him.     Then  he  mourned 
sore;  but  his  resource  in  such  seasons  was  such  as  every  true 
Christian  is  accustomed  to  flee  to — it  was  fraycr.     Indeed, 


220 


NECROLOOY. 


here  was  the  secret  of  all  his  spiritual  joy  and  strength.  He 
was  a  man  of  prayer.  This  kept  his  armor  bright.  He  asked 
in  faith,  nothing  doubting.  Whether  he  preached,  or  visited, 
or  gave  to  benevolent  objects,  he  prayed.  In  his  domestic 
relations  he  was  most  faithful  and  happy.  Here  the  touch- 
ing loveliness  of  his  character  was  eminently  displayed.  He 
was  the  devoted  husband,  the  fond  father,  the  affectionate 
brother,  the  true  friend.  To  those  knowing  his  intense  love 
for  his  family,  it  was  with  astonishment  they  beheld  him, 
through  the  abounding  power  of  divine  grace,  calmly,  and 
with  a  child-like  confidence,  commit  them  into  his  heavenly 
Father's  hands  in  the  closing  scene  of  his  life. 

In  the  spring  of  1864,  his  health  began  visibly  to  decline, 
and  he  was  compelled  to  abridge  his  labors.  After  preach- 
ing he  would  be  well  nigh  exhausted,  yet  such  was  his  ardor 
that  no  persuasion  could  keep  him  from  preaching,  even  in 
his  great  feebleness.  He  had  always  entertained  great  fears 
of  the  pains  of  death.  Being  peculiarly  sensitive  to  physical 
pain,  he  dreaded  death.  But  as  this  dreaded  king  of  terrors 
approached  his  fears  departed,  and  he  spoke  of  dying  with 
delight.  His  thoughts  seemed  to  dwell  constantly  upon 
death  and  heaven!  If  he  sang,  it  would  be  some  hymn  whose 
theme  was  one  or  the  other.  One  day  he  said,  "  I  some- 
times'think  I  will  not  be  here  long,  for  all  my  dread  of  death 
has  passed  away,  and  I  now  only  look  upon  it  as  the  door 
which  will  open  to  usher  me  into  the  presence  of  my  Saviour. 
Come,  Lord  Jesus,  come  quickly,"  he  exclaimed  with  great 
emotion.  Seeing  that  his  wife  was  distressed,  he  said,  "I 
do  not  want  to  distress  you,  dear  wife,  but  I  think  we  ought 
to  talk  of  these  things.  It  may  please  our  Father  to  spare 
us  to  each  other  many  years,  and  I  hope  this  may  be  His 
blessed  will;  but  if  He  should  take  me  away,  don't  be  sad, 
and  grieve  for  me  as  dead — always  think  of  me  as  only  gone 
home,  and  in  God's  time  you  will  join  me,  and  hand  in  hand 
w©  will  walk  the  streets  of  the  New  Jerusalem,  and  together 


REV.   GEORGE   WHITFIELD   LADSON.  221 

cast  our  crowns  at  Jesus  feet."  While  he  thus  discoursed 
his  countenance  glowed  with  the  glorious  prospect.  At  an- 
other time  he  said,  "  The  pins  are  being  taken  from  the 
tabernacle."  He  often  repeated,  with  great  delight,  II  Cor., 
vi:  9,  "As  unknown,  and  yet  well  known:  as  djirg,  and 
behold  we  live:  as  chastened,  and  not  killed." 

On  the  2d  Sabbath  in  June  he  appeared  for  the  last  time 
in  the  pulpit;  yet  neither  he  nor  his  people  thought  this  was 
the  last  time.  He  seemed  stronger  than  he  had  for  weeks. 
The  subject  of  his  morning  discourse  was,  Eccl.  xi:  6.  It 
was  the  evening  of  what,  to  him,  preceded  an  unfading  morn- 
ing. He  preached  with  his  wonted  earnestness.  With  great 
faithfulness  he  urged  Christians  to  "  Sow  seed  while  the  day 
lasted."  At  night  his  theme  was,  Luke  x:  27.  His  appeal 
to  Christians  and  sinners  was  such  as  never  can  be  forgotten 
by  those  who  heard  him.  This  ended  his  public  labors.  A 
few  days  afterwards  he  was  attacked  with  the  fatal  malady 
(dysentery)  which  pushed  him  to  the  grave ;  and  though  he 
was  by  no  means  ill,  he  felt  that  he  never  would  be  well 
again.  He  suffered  no  acute  pain,  except  from  excessive 
prostration.  He  did  not  speak  of  dying,  but  his  thoughts 
were  constantly  fixed  on  Heaven.  He  would  be  often  heard 
to  whisper,  "Jesus,  precious  Saviour."  His  interest  in  his 
people  continued  unabated — he  was  constantly  sending  mes- 
sages to  them.  When  it  was  known  to  them  that  their 
beloved  pastor  was  very  ill,  they  came  at  all  hours,  enquiring 
how  he  "was ;  and  most  tenderly  did  they  nurse  him,  each 
one  considering  it  a  privilege  to  do  something  for  him.  Al- 
though his  physician  succeeded  in  checking  the  disease,  yet 
his  enfeebled  constitution  could  not  rally  from  its  effects, 
and  in  a  short  time  he  became  painfully  nervous  and  rest- 
less. All  hope  of  restoration  now  fled.  He  often  said,  "If 
it  was  God's  will,  he  would  rather  see  his  wife  and  child 
home  before  him,  yet  he  could  say,  '  His  will  be  done.'  I 
would  like  to  live  longer,"  he  remarked,  "to  preach  Jesus, 


222  NECROLOGY. 


but  God  will  do  whatever  is  most  for  His  honor  and  glory." 
His  conversations  with  those  dear  to  him — his  interviews 
with  his  many  intimate  and  attached  friends,  during  the  days 
immediately  preceding  his  departure,  were  of  the  most  heav- 
enly tone — cheering  and  comforting  to  their  grief-stricken 
hearts ;  they  are  treasured,  and  will  be  cherished  by  them  as 
long  as  life  shall  last.  Many  of  them  are  too  sacred  to  be 
recorded,  even  in  this  Memorial. 

On  the  beautiful  morning  of  the  fouth  of  July,  1864,  he 
sank  quietly  to  rest,  without  having  been  subjected  to  very 
intense  suffering,  except  for  a  few  hours.  During  the  few 
days  before  his  death  he  calmly  gav«  the  necessary  directions 
as  to  his  temporal  affairs,  and  then  expressed  his  desire  to 
depart,  and  to  be  with  Christ.  His  confidence  in  his  Sav- 
iour, whom  he  loved  and  served,  was  unwavering,  so  that  he 
rejoiced  in  the  near  approach  of  the  hour  which  should  ad- 
mit him  into  His  immediate  presence,  and  only  sorrowed 
that  he  must  be  separated  for  a  time  froni  his  wife,  whom  he 
tenderly  loved  and  cherished,  and  his  two  little  children — his 
little  Dunwody  and  his  babe  not  then  born. 

His  death,  causing  grief  and  sadness  throughout  all  the 
circle  of  his  many  friends,  fell  with  crushing  weight  upon  his 
bereaved  people.  Their  attachment  to  him  had  known  no 
bounds.  He  had  devoted  himself  with  singleness  of  purpose 
to  their  welfare,  having  declined  several  tempting  invitations 
to  go  elsewhere;  and  they  had  daily  given  evidence  of  their 
unlimited  affection  for  him.  It  was,  therefore,  with  uncon- 
trolable  grief  they  learned  he  was  gone  from  them.  The 
news  spread  quickly  throughout  the  city,  and  the  cry  was 
heard  from  the  lips  of  man,  woman  and  child,  "  Mr.  Ladson 
is  dead."  Multitudes  of  them  came  to  look  for  the  last  time 
on  the  face  of  him  who  was  so  dear  to  them,  and  tears  and 
flowers  were  showered  upon  his  inanimate  body.  At  his 
funeral,  which  was  attended  by  many  hundreds  of  his  friends, 
both  white  and  black,  they  crowded  the  place  of  chief  mourn- 


REV.    GEORGE   WHITFIELD    LADSON.  223 

ers;  and  they  asked  to  be  permitted  to  bear  all  the  expenses 
of  his  sepulture;  to  purchase  a  lot  in  Elmwood  Cemetery  as 
the  place  of  his  burial,  and  to  erect  a  monument  over  the  re. 
mains  of  their  beloved  friend  and  pastor.  Nor  have  they 
ceased  to  show  their  love  for  him,  by  seizing  eagerly  every 
opportunity  of  doing  acts  of  kindness  to  his  bereaved  family. 
Indeed,  there  are  few  instances  on  record  where  stronger 
manifestations  of  sincere  affection  for  a  pastor  have  ever 
been  given.  Others  may  have  been  borne  to  their  graves 
with  greater  outward  marks  of  sorrow,  but  this  was  the  sin- 
cere outpourings  of  sincere  love  from  a  simple-hearted,  hum- 
ble people. 

^'Being  dead,  he  yet  speaketh."  His  influence  can  never 
cease  to  be  felt  in  the  congregations  in  which  he  labored,  and 
especially  in  that  which  last  enjoyed  his  presence.  But  ^t  is 
not  confined  to  them.  Besides  the  general  influence  of  one 
such  example,  all  the  Churches  in  Columbia  were  stimulated 
by  it  to  greater  diligence  in  the  instruction  of  the  colored 
people,  and  are  still  reaping  the  fruits  of  their  increased 
fidelity.  And  a  much  more  extensive  range  was  given  to 
it  by  the  fact  that  daring  the  period  of  his  labors  in  Columbia 
a  larger  number  of  students  were  at  the  Theological  Semin- 
ary than  at  any  previous  time,  all  of  whom  were  witnesses  of 
his  mode  of  instruction  and  its  happy  results.  Many  of  these 
trace  to  him  their  determination  to  give  special  attention  to 
this- part  of  their  pastoral  work,  as  they  are  now  doing  in 
every  part  of  our  land. 

It  was  hoped  that  his  influence  might  have  been  still  more 
widely  extended  by  the  publication  of  the  scries  of  questions  on 
the  Shorter  Catechism,  which  he  used  in  the  instruction  of  his 
Sunday  scholars;  but  he  was  taken  away  before  the  prepar- 
ation of  these  for  the  press  was  sufficiently  advanced  to  allow 
them  to  be  printed. 

We  cannot  more  appropriately  close  this  memorial,  than 


224  NECROLOGY. 


by  appending  the  following  paper  adopted  by  the  Columbia 
Church  a  few  days  subsequent  to  his  death. 

Columbia,  July  18,  1864. 
The  congregation  of  the   Presbyterian   Church  adopted 
unanimously  the  following  preamble  and  resolutions: 

Whereas,  It  has  pleased  the  Great  Shepherd  of  the  Church 
to  remove  from  this  earthly  sphere,  the  Rev.  George  W.  Lad- 
son,  who,  for  some  years  past,  labored  for  the  spiritual  good 
of  the  colored  people  of  this  congregation,  and  for  the  last 
three  years  has  sustained  to  them,  as  an  Evangelist,  a  more 
close  and  special  relation,  this  Church  and  congregation  would 
hereby  express  their  high  appreciation  of  his  worth,  of  his 
consuming  zeal  and  persevering  labors ;  their  sorrow  at  what 
appears,  to  our  feeble  perceptions,  his  untimely  death;  their 
deep  regret  that  his  faithful  efforts  for  the  salvation  of  our 
servants  have  terminated,  while  so  much  that  it  was  in  his 
heart  to  do,  remains  unaccomplished.  We  tender  to  his  be- 
reaved family  our  heartfelt  sympathy,  and  commend  them  to 
the  protection  of  Him  who  is  the  widow's  God  and  Judge, 
and  the  Father  of  the  fatherless ;  and  we  sincerely  hope  that 
his  patient  instructions,  his  faithful  rebukes,  and  holy  exam- 
ple, his  triumphant  faith,  and  his  kind  and  considerate  coun- 
sels, will  never  be  forgotten  by  the  people  of  his  charge,  for 
whose  salvation  he  poured  out  his  life;  and  it  is  hereby 

Besolved,  In  testimony  of  our  regard  for  his  sorrowing 
family,  that  his  salary  be  continued  to  them  until  the  first  day 
of  October  next. 

Resolved,  Further,  that  a  copy  of  these  proceedings  be 
sent  by  the  Chairman  to  the  widow  of  the  deceased,  and  be 
published  in  the  religious  papers  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

J.  A.  Crawford,  Chairman. 


REV.  ANDREW  RUTHERFORD  LIDDELL. 


Andrew  Rutherford  Liddell  was  the  son  of  Moses  Liddell 
and  Mary  (Freeman)  Liddell,  and  was  born  in  Gwinnett 
county,  on  the  4th  of  April,  1829.  His  father  was  an  elder 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  He  was  dedicated  to  God,  by 
baptism,  in  his  infancy,  and  brought  up  in  the  nurture  and 
admonition  of  the  Lord.  He  was  not  distinguished  for  any- 
thing peculiar  in  his  youth.  He  labored  on  his  father's  farm, 
and  attended  the  common  schools  of  the  neighborhood  until 
bis  jfifteenth  or  sixteenth  year;  He  commenced  his  classical 
education  in  the  Gwinnett  Institute,  at  that  time  under  the 
care  of  the  late  Rev.  Dr.  J.  C.  Patterson,  where  he  was  pre- 
pared for  College.  He  was  a  diligent  and  orderly  student, 
and,  possessing  a  good  mind,  was  eminently  successful  in  his 
literary  studies.  During  his  connection  with  the  Institute. 
he  was,  after  a  season  of  deep  anxiety  and  distress,  enabled 
to  trust  in  the  Saviour,  and  forthwith  turned  his  thoughts  to 
the  Christian  ministry.    He  united  with  the  Fairview  Church. 

In  1851,  or  1852,  he  entered  Oglethorpe  University,  and 
graduated  in  1855.  After  leaving  college  he  engaged  in 
teaching  for  a  short  period,  in  Campbell  county.  From 
thence  he  went  to  the  Theological  Seminary  at  Columbia,  S- 
C.  He  completed  the  prescribed  course  in  the  Seminary  in 
May,  1858,  and  was  licensed  to  preach  the  Gospel  by  the 
Presbytery  of  Flint  River,  the  24th  day  of  the  following 
June. 

Soon  after  his  license  he  visited  the  churches  of  Cuthbert 
and  Fort  Gains,  in  the  counties  of  Randolph  and  Clay.  His 
ministry  proved  very  acceptable  to  these  people — indeed,  it 
gave  such  promise  of  future  usefulness,  that  they  forthwith 
called  him  to  be  their  pastor.  He  was  ordained  by  the  Pres- 
15  235 


226  NECROLOGY. 


bytery  of  Flint  River,  with  a  view  to  these  pastoral  charges, 
on  the  10th  of  October,  1858,  and  installed  in  the  Cuthbert 
Church  on  the  first  Sabbath  in  December  following;  and  in 
the  Fort  Gains  Church  on  the  first  Sabbath  of  January,  1859. 

On  the  4th  of  October,  1859,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Sallie  Irwin,  of  Henry  county,  Alabama. 

In  February,  1859,  symptoms  of  that  insidious  disease, 
which  brought  him  to  an  early  grave,  began  to  manifest 
themselves.  Seeking  for  restoration,  he  made  a  visit  to  the 
State  of  Texas,  whither  his  mother's  family  had  removed. 
This  proved  in  some  measure  successful.  He  returned  with 
renewed  vigor,  and  resumed  his  labors  in  September.  But 
the  relief  was  only  temporai-y.  He  had  the  sentence  of  death 
within  him.  The  worm  had  seized  his  vitals.  He  was  doomed 
to  fall  by  consumption.  .  In  December  he  succumbed  to  the 
fell  destroyer.  His  strength  was  gone.  He  could  no  longer 
preach.  He  gave  up  his  charge  and  set  his  house  in  order. 
He  was  young — he  had  fondly  hoped  that  he  might  labor 
long  in  the  Master's  vineyard;  but  the  Master  had  otherwise 
determined,  and  he  was  content.  From  this  time  he  gradu- 
ally declined,  until  the  period  of  his  death,  which  sad  event 
occurred  at  his  home  in  the  town  of  Cuthbert,  on  Sabbath 
morning,  November  26th,  1860,  at  3  o'clock,  in  the  thirty- 
second  year  of  his  age,  and  two  years  and  five  months  after 
his  licensure.*  His  remains  were  carried  to  Fort  Gains  for 
sepulture,  where  a  funeral  discourse  was  delivered  by  the 
Eev.  Homer  Hendee,  from  I  Cor.  xv:  5Q,  17,  "  The  sting  of 
death  is  sin,  and  the  strength  of  sdn  is  the  law;  but  thanks 
be  to  God,  who  giveth  us  the  victory  through  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ." 

*  That  Providence  whicli  removes  one  so  young,  so  well  qnalified  by 
nature,  grace,  and  education,  from  the  sphere  of  their  labors  and  useful- 
ness, is,  to  our  feeble  perceptions,  inscrutable.  We  know  not  now; 
perhaps  we  shall  know  hereafter. 

The  reader  of  these  memorials  of  our  dead,  must,  however,  be  solemnly 
impressed  with  the  fact,  that  so  tnany  of  our  ministers  have  been  cut  off 


REV.   ANDREW   RUTHERFORD   LIDDELL.  227 

This  young  brother  had  scarcely  entered  upon  his  labors  as 
a  probationer,  when  the  seal  of  the  Great  Head  of  the  Church 
was  stamped  upon  his  ministrations,  and  considerable  addi- 
tions were  made  to  the  Church  of  those  who  were  converted 
through  his  instrumentality.  He  was  truly  a  "burning  and 
shining  light."  His  ministry  was  characterized  by  ardent 
piety,  self-denying  toil,  clearness  and  force  in  the  presenta- 
tion of  the  doctrines  of  grace,  and  directness  in  the  searching 
application  which  he  raade  to  the  consciences  of  his  hearers. 
Bold  and  earnest  in  manner,  he  convinced  every  hearer  that 
he  "believed,  and  therefore  spake."  Naturally  endowed 
with  a  logical  mind,  which  was  disciplined  in  his  preparatory 
training,  he  was  prepared  to  accomplish  much,  even  in  the 
brief  period  of  his  service;  and  we  may  confidently  afiirm, 
that  he  made  an  impression  for  good,  lasting  as  eternity. 

He  died  as  he  had  lived — a  Christian — exemplifying  the 
doctrines  he  had  preached — faith  in  Christ,  and  reliance  alone 
on  his  merits  for  acceptance  with  God. 

He  left  an  afiectionate  and  devoted  wife,  and  a  people  ar- 
dently attached  to  him,  to  mourn  his  loss.  His  entire  active 
ministry  did  not  continue  more  than  one  year,  although  he 

in  the  veyy  dew  of  tlieir  'youth — while  they  have  stood  with  sickle  in 
hand,  just  ready  to  enter  the  field  white  to  the  harvest,  and  reap,  they 
have  been  mowed  down  by  the  scythe  of  death.  Of  those  whose  memo- 
rials will  be  found  in  this  volume,  a  Humphries,  a  Liddell,  a  Mathews, 
aQuarterman,  a  Simonton,  a  Winn,  and  a  Ladson — one-fourth  of  those 
connected  with  the  Synod  of  Georgia,  who  have  fallen  within  the  first 
twenty  years  of  its  history,  have  died  in  the  early  years  of  their  ministry. 
This  fact  may  well  lead  i;s  to  inquire  if  there  is  not  something  radically 
wrong  in  our  mode]  of  training  young'  men  for  the  holy  ofiice.  Our  sys- 
tem of  education  is  not  too  thorough,  but  it  is  too  laborious,  too  inactive, 
too  theoretical.  The  constant  attrition  of  seven  to  ten  years  close  study, 
will  weaken,  if  it  does  not  wear  out,  any  constitution  made  of  materials 
less  durable  than  brass  and  iron.  The  sons  of  Anak  would  succumb 
under  such  a  process.  There  is  just  about  as  much  common  sense  in 
shutting  up  young  men  in  a  seminary  while  preparing  the  furniture  and 
acquiring  the  theory  of  preaching,  and  at  the  same  time  by  their  inactiv- 
ity prostrating  their  physical  energies,  as  there  would  be  in  building  a 


228  NECROLOGY. 


lived  more  than  two  years  after  his  licensure ;  but  in  this 
brief  space  he  accomplished  much  for  the  cause  of  Christ. 
And  though  being  dead,  he  yet  speaketh,  saying,  "  Remem- 
ber the  words  which  I  spake  unto  you  while  I  was  yet  present 
with  you." 

The  Presbytery  of  Flint  River,  at  their  ensuing  session  in 
April,  1861,  adopted  the  following  resolution : 

"^e  it  Resolved,  That  we  deeply  sympathize  with  the 
afflicted  widow  and  other  relatives  of  the  deceased  in  this 
severe  trial;  and  also  with  the  bereaved  people  of  his  charge, 
whom  we  commend  for  comfort  and  consolation  to  Him  whose 
ruling  hand  is  in  each  event  of  life,  and  whose  compassion  is 
ever  towards  His  people  in  their  sorrow ;  and  we  fervently 
pray  that  the  Good  Shepherd  may  soon  send  to  this  bereaved 
people  one  who  shall  go  in  and  out  among  them  in  the  spirit 
of  our  beloved  brother,  breaking  unto  them  the  bread  of  ev- 
erlasting life." 

naval  academy,  and  educating  a  company  of  youth  destined  for  the  navy 
on  the  top  of  a  mountain  a  thousand  miles  from  the  sea,  where  they  never 
saw  a  ship,  handled  a  rope,  or  beheld  the  curling  of  a  wave.  Our  young 
men  are,  in  a  good  degree,  destitute  of  all  practical  knowledge  of  their 
profession  when  they  leave  the  institution — their  health  is  often  impaired 
thi'ough  want  of  physical  exercise — they  are  incapable  of  beaming  hard- 
ness and  exposure — the  seeds  of  fatal  disease  are  sown,  which  in  a  few 
years  mature  and  sweep  them  into  the  grave.  • 

We  would,  therefore,  have  a  radical  change  in  the  organization  of  our 
seminaries.  We  would  ordain  that  no  session  should  continue  more  than 
three  or  four  months  in  a  year,  and  that  the  other  eight  or  nine  months 
of  the  year  should  be  spent  in  traversing  the  country,  assisting  pastors, 
or  laboring  as  missionaries  in  destitute  places ;  and  then  we  would  have 
them  return  and  attend  another  session,  and  so  continue,  until  they  have 
received  a  thorough  practical  training.  Thus,  they  would  learn  the  ropes, 
be  able  to  trim  the  ship,  box  the  compass,  and  hold  the  wheel.  The 
study  of  human  nature  is  as  important  to  a  minister  as  the  study  of  books, 
but  this  can  only  be  learned  in  actual  contact  with  human  nature — not 
within  the  walls  of  a  theological  seminary. 


REV.  RICHARD  T.  MARKS.  * 


This  faithful  and  devoted  minister  of  Christ,  dying,  leaves 
in  his  life  and  character  a  precious  legacy  to  the  Church.  It 
is  part  of  her  capital,  which  it  behooves  her  to  treasure  up 
and  "trade"  upon.  It  is  a  new  edition  of  the  Gospel, 
"  written,  not  with  ink,  but  with  the  spirit  of  the  living  God ; 
not  on  paper  or  parchment,  but  in  the  fleshly  tablets  of  the 
heart."  Not  only  a^e  such  lives  and  deaths  of  piety  the 
best  witnesses  to  the  truth  of  the  Gospel,  but  they  "  point  to 
heaven  and  lead  the  way,"  and  encourage  us  to  be  followers 
of  them  who  "through  faith  and  patience,  inherit  the  prom- 
ises." With  these  views,  and  for  these  purposes,  we  put  on 
record  the  following  memorial  of  one  who,  without  doubt,  has 
a  far,  fuller  and  brighter  "record  on  high:" 

Richard  T.  Marks  was  born  in  Louisville,  Jefferson  Co., 
Ga.,  in  September,  1809.  He  was  the  child  of  poor,  but 
worthy  parents.  His  mother  was  a  devotedly  pious  member 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  brought  up  her  son  as  the 
child  of  the  covenant.  When  nine  years  old  he  was  taken 
as  a  son  into  the  family  of  the  late  Major  Matthew  Robinson, 
a  relative  of  his,  and  an  elder  in  the  Presbyterian  Church  in 
Augusta,  and  a  conductor  of  one  of  the  journals  of  the  city, 
by  whom  he  was  inducted  into  the  mysteries  of  the  printing 
art.  In  this  art  he  soon  became  an  expert,  and  surpassed 
all  his  fellows  in  the  rapidity  with  which  he  executed  his 
work.  A  proof  of  this  is  furnished  in  the  following  incident : 
When  Richard  was  about  fourteen  or  fifteen  years  old,  a 
stranger — a  printer — came  to  Augusta,  asking  and  receiving 
higher  wages  than  any  of  the  same  profession,  on  the  ground 
that  he  could  do  so  much  more  work,  in  the  same  time,  than 

*MSS.  from  Rev.  W.  M.  Cunningham,  D.D. 

229 


230  NECROLOGY. 


any  of  the  compositors  in  the  city.  This  nettled  the  spirit 
and  fired  the  ambition  of  the  craft.  To  be  thus  dishonored 
and  depreciated  by  a  new-comer,  was  more  than  they  were 
willing  to  bear.  They  resolved  to  contest  his  claim ;  and, 
after  consultation,  they  selected  young  Marks  as  their  cham- 
pion, and  sent  a  challenge  to  the  stranger  to  withdraw,  or 
make  good  his  boast.  A  wager  of  a  fine  suit  of  clothes  and 
an  oyster  supper  was  the  prize  that  was  to  reward  the  victor. 
The  challenge,  of  course,  was  accepted,  and  as  the  day  drew 
nigh  on  which  was  to  decide  the  question,  the  whole  commu- 
nity became  not  only  interested,  but  excited,  by  the  pending 
conflict.  The  time  fixed  to  decide  the  question  was  tlie  worh- 
ing  hours  of  a  given  day.  By  breakfast  hour  Richard  stood 
abreast  with  the  stranger.  The  excitement  in  the  town  in- 
creased. At  the  dinner  hour  Richard  had  gained  on  his 
rival,  and  at  the  supper  hour  Richard  was  far  ahead,  and  by 
common  consent  was  crowned  the  prince  of  type-setters. 

When  he  was  only  eighteen  years  of  age,  he  united  with 
Mr.  Lamar,  afterwards  of  Texas  fame,  in  establishing  the 
Columbus  Enquirer,  the  first,  and  many  years  one  of  the 
ablest  papers  in  Western  Georgia.  Under  the  administra- 
tion of  Mr.  M.,  at  a  later  date,  this  paper  became  a  foxoer  in 
the  State,  and  in  1839  and. '40  did  more  to  influence  the 
policy  and  politics  of  the  State  than  perhaps  any  other  jour- 
nal in  the  State.  But  whilst  seated  on  his  throne  of  power 
and  popularity,  with  the  golden  stream  of  wealth  beginning 
to  flow  in  upon  him,  brother  Marks  heard  the  voice  of  the 
Master,  calling  him  to  preach  the  Gospel,  and  "  straightway 
he  rose  up,  left  all,  and  followed  Jesus." 

But  we  must  go  back  a  little,  to  take  up  what  has  now 
become  the  main  thread — the  real  warp  of  the  web  of  his  life 
— his  conversion  and  consecration  to  God.  Though  the  child 
of  piety  and  prayer,  Richard  grew  up  to  early  manhood  a 
perfect  Gallio  on  the  subject  of  religion.  The  warmth  of  his 
social  aflfections,  his  sparkling  and  sprightly  intellect,  the 


REV.    RICHARD   T.    MARKS.  231 

ardor  and  energy  with  which  he  threw  himself  into  whatever 
he  undertook,  all  conspired  to  expose  him,  in  a  peculiar 
manner,  to  the  temptations  of  a  city.  Though,  from  nature 
and  training,  abhorring  everything  that  was  mean  and  ma- 
lignant, he  was  yet  the  ring-leader  of  the  gay  and  the  giddy, 
and  the  godless. 

The  first  serious  religious  impression  was  made  at  a  prayer 
meeting,  to  which  he  was  led  for  the  sake  of  accompanying 
his  mother.  During  that  prayer  meeting  two  prominent 
members  of  the  Church,  and  of  the  community — between 
whom  there  had  long  existed  a  most  unchristian  feud,  rose 
up,  made  mutual  confessions  and  concessions  to  each  other, 
and  with  tears  embraced  each  other,  and  bowed  together 
before  the  mercy  seat.  This  was  a  sermon  he  had  not  ex- 
pected, and  the  moral  of  which  he  could  not  resist.  "  Surely," 
he  said  to  himself,  "  there  must  be  some  principle,  or  power, 
above  nature,  that  could  make  these  proud  spirits  humble 
themselves  in  the  presence  of  each  other,  and  of  their  fellow 
men,  and  forgive  and  love  each  other !  There  must  be  a 
reality  in  religion;  and  if  so,  I  am  lost!"  But  no  decisive 
action  followed  this  conviction. 

Sometime  after  this  the  Methodist  Church  in  Augusta  was 
stirred  as  by  a  mighty  rushing  wind.  Every  person  went  to 
see  and  hear,  and  seemed  to  feel.  Richard  T.  Marks  went — 
went  with  his  lady-love,  and  as  the  house  was  crowded,  he 
took  his  seat  in  the  gallery.  At  the  close  of  the  sermon,  to 
which  he  had  given  little  attention,  the  preacher  invited  all 
who  desired  the  prayers  of  God's  people,  to  kneel  at  their 
seats.  A  great  multitude  bowed.  The  preacher  then  re- 
quested all  who  had  a  heart  to  pray  for  anxious  sinners  to 
kneel  in  prayer.  Young  Marks,  who  had  been  closely  ob- 
serving the  movement,  saw  the  whole  mighty  congregation 
prostrate  before  God.  It  seemed  to  him  that  he  was  almost 
the  only  exception.  Horror  stricken  at  the  hardness  and 
insensibility  of  his  own  heart,  he  exclaimed,  "  My  God !  am 


232  NECROLOGY. 


I  the  worst  sinner  in  Augusta  ?  "  and  quietly  he  crept  down 
upon  his  knees.  A  perfect  tempest  of  conflicting  thoughts 
and  feelings  now  swept  through  his  soul.  It  seemed  to  him 
that  every  person  had  seen  him  kneel,  and  that  the  eye  of 
that  great  congregation  was  fixed  upon  him ;  and  there  he 
was,  a  hardened  hypocrite  !  for  he  was  not  praying,  nor  had 
he  bowed  because  he  wanted  the  prayers  of  God's  people. 
Shame,  remorse,  self-loathing,  as  an  armed  man,  seized  and 
shook  his  soul.  He  despised  himself  as  much  for  his  tveakness 
in  assuming  a  false  position,  as  for  his  wickedness  in  being 
30  hard-Iiearted.  He  yielded  to  the  impulse  to  extricate 
himself  from  this  horrible  predicament.  Stealthily  he  rose 
from  his  knees  and  left  the  house  whilst  the  prayer  was  be- 
ing offered,  and  wandered  hurriedly  through  the  city,  without 
knowing  whither  or  why  he  went ;  and  it  was  not  until  he 
found  himself  in  his  room,  at  a  late  hour,  that  he  thought  of 
the  young  lady  of  his  charge,  whom  he  had  so  unceremoni- 
ously left  at  the  church.  He  now  felt  that  he  was  forever 
disgraced  and  ruined.  Life  was  a  burden  and  a  curse.  Sad 
and  gloomy  weeks  passed  by,  during  which  he  retired,  as 
much  as  may  be,  into  the  dark  chambers  of  his  own  misera- 
ble soul.  Of  course  he  got  no  better,  but  consciously  grew 
worse.  The  mercy  seat  offered  him  his  only  hope,  and 
thither,  in  a  darkened  and  dusty  garret  of  his  office  he  re- 
tired, while  his  comrades  went  to  their  dinners. 

Whilst  there  bowed,  God  set  before  him  his  sins  in  the 
light  of  His  countenance.  So  many  and  so  aggravated 
seemed  his  sins — so  justly  did  he  deserve  the  wrath  of  God, 
that  he  felt  not  only  that  it  would  be  asking  too  much,  but 
that  it  was  ^purely  mean  and  base  to  ask  God  to  forgive  him, 
and  he  arose  from  his  knees  without  uttering  a  petition — a 
justly  doomed  and  lo<t  man.  He  hurried  to  the  street,  and 
there,  while  pacing  lae  .sidewalks  of  Broadway,  blind  and 
oblivious  of  everything  around  him,  the  words  of  the  Saviour 
were  suggested  to  him,  as  though  spoken  by  an  audible  voice, 


REV.    RICHARD    T.    MARKS.  233 

"  Come  unto  me  all  ye  that  arc  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give 
you  rest."  He  stopped  abruptly.  "  Whose  vrords  are  those?" 
he  said  to  himself.  A  moment's  reflection  told  him  they 
were  the  words  of  Jesus,  the  Saviour.     He  repeated  them  to 

nmself.  "  Surely,"  said  he  to  himself,  "  I  am  a  weary  and 
heavy-laden  sinner,  and  if  Jesus,  in  his  boundless  goodness 
and  grace,  invites  me,  and  is  willing  to  receive  me,  I  will 
come  unto  Mm  for  rest."  And  there,  in  the  thronged  thor- 
oughfare of  the  city,  in  one  of  the  busiest  hours  of  the  day, 
the  soul  of  young  Marks  bowed  and  melted  at  the  feet  of  his 
Saviour,  and  he  consecrated  himself  forever  to  His  service. 
How  momentous  the  change !  yet  who  of  the  rushing  crowd 
noticed  it,  or  cared  for  that  mightiest  of  the  works  of  God  ? 
But  the  light  that  was  in  him  could  not  long  be  hid,  and 
he  was  shortly  afterwards  received  into  the  Presbyterian 
Church. 

When  young  Marks  removed  to  Columbus,  about  the  year 
1827  or  '28,  the  Church  there  was  in  its  infancy,  and  he 
aided  in  laying  its  foundations,  and  was  elected  one  of  its 
ruling  elders.  His  zeal  and  his  faith,  at  this  time,  may  be 
inferred  from  the  following  fact:  The  little  Church  was 
very  anxious  to  obtain  the  services  of  the  Rev.  T.  F.  Scott, 
then  a  young  minister  of  promise  in  our  Church.  After  ex- 
hausting their  efforts  in  obtaining  subscriptions,  they  still 
lacked  two  hundred  dollars  of  the  amount  required.  The 
Church  was  sad  and  desponding.  Mr.  Marks  resolved  that 
they  should  have  preaching ;  and  although  poor,  and  with  a 
dependent  family  and  a  limited  salary,  he  filled  the  bill  by 
adding  two  hundred  dollars  to  his  name.  He  trusted  that 
God  would  provide  the  means,  though  then  he  could  not  see 
how.  Pay  day  drew  nigh,  and  not  a  dollar  had  Mr.  Marks, 
in  hand  or  in  prospect.  He  began  to  be  troubled.  One  day 
in  going  from  dinner  to  his  office,  a  house  and  lot  was  being 
exposed  to  sale  at  public  auction.  Marks  put  in  a  bid.  To 
his  horror,  it  was  the  last  that  was  offered,  and  the  property 


234  NECROLOGY. 


was  stricken  down  to  him.  "What  a  fool  am  I,"  he  said  to 
himself.  "  I  have  ruined  myself!  I  don't  want  the  prop- 
erty, and  I  have  no  money  to  pay  for  it !  What  madness 
possessed  me  to  bid  for'  it?"  His  first  thought  was  to  find 
the  last  bidder,  pay  the  difference,  and  by  this  sacrifice  free 
himself  of  his  folly.  But,  before  he  had  executed  his  pur- 
pose, the  last  bidder  had  found  him,  and  finally  gave  him 
two  hundred  dollars  for'  his  bargain.  This  was  just  the 
amount  that  Mr.  Marks  needed,  and  with  it  he  settled  his 
subscription.  Mr.  Marks  never  after  that  wanted  faith  to 
do,  or  to  dare,  what  the  interest  of  the  Church  required  of 
him. 

The  call  for  ministers  in  Western  Georgia,  was  at  this 
time  loud  and  urgent.  The  Churches  were  feeble  and  scat- 
tered, and  many  of  the  new  settlers  were  not  organized  into 
Churches.  All  of  them  were  anxious  for  some  one  to  break 
to  them  the  bread  of  life.  Mr.  Marks  heard  the  Macedonian 
cry,  and  yearned  to  bear  to  them  the  Gospel  of  the  grace  of 
God.  His  fathers  and  brethren  saw  in  him  the  gifts  and 
qualifications  that  promised  to  make  him  useful  in  the  min- 
istry. He  was  accordingly  licensed  by  Flint  River  Presby^ 
tery,  in  1837,  in  La  Grange,  and  in  1839  was  ordained  to 
the  full  work  of  the  Gospel  ministry  in  the  city  of  Culumbus. 
Without  following  his  history  further,  which,  for  the  most 
part,  was  that  of  an  unpaid  missionary,  we  notice : 

1st.  His  personal  sacrifices'  for  Christ  and  His  Church. 
We  have  already  stated,  that  when  he  gave  up  his  paper  and 
press,  it  had  become  the  source  of  power  and  of  wealth ;  but 
in  leaving  it,  he  lost  not  only  the  revenues  it  was  bringing 
him,  but  many  thousands  of  dollars  of  its  earnings,  the  most 
of  which  would  have  been  collected,  had  he  stayed  at  his 
post.  And  for  his  labors  as  a  missionary,  to  which  he  was 
commissioned  by  his  Presbytery,  and  which  extended  from 
the  mountains  of  Georgia  to  the  seaboard,  he  was  never  re- 
quited— not  even,  it  is  believed,  to  the  extent  of  covering  his 


KEY.   RICHARD   T.    MARKS.  235 

expenses.  As  lie  never  complained— none  knew,  but  himself, 
how  little  he  did  receive ;  but  all  knew  that  it  was  far  less 
than  he  deserved,  or  than  was  promised  to  him.  And  after 
he  ceased  to  act  as  the  commissioned  missionary,  his  labors 
were  not  less  gratuitous  or  abundant.  We  feel  safe  in  say- 
ing, that  no  missionary  or  minister  within  our  bounds,  did 
more  work ;  yet  none  were  ever  half  so  poorly  paid.  This 
was  not  because  his  services  were  not  appreciated,  or  because 
he  could  not  have  commanded  more  remunerating  fields  of 
labor.  No  minister  within  our  bounds  was  more  welcomed 
to  the  pulpits  of  our  ablest  Churches,  The  truth  was,  that 
in  all  his  deliverances  there  was  so  much  of  head  and  heart, 
of  light  and  heat,  with  such  quick  and  clear  perceptions  of 
what  the  occasion  required,  that  it  was  impossible  for  a  con- 
gregation that  had  heads  and  hearts,  to  hear  him  with  indif- 
ference. Whether  in  the  sanctuary  or  in  the  senate  chamber 
— for  that  honor  was  once  thrust  upon  him — whether  in  the 
primary  assemblies  of  the  people  or  in  the  General  Assembly 
of  our  Church,  brother  Marks  was  always  listened  to  with 
interest,  and  rarely  without  efect.  Our  General  Assembly 
is  not  ordinarily  the  place  for  tears ;  and  yet,  under  an  ad- 
dress on  home  missions,  which  brother  M.  was  called  to 
deliver,  that  venerable  body,  then  sitting  in  the  city  of  New 
York,  ivept  lihe  ivomen.  No,  brother  M.  could  have  occu- 
pied some  of  the  high  places  of  our  Zion ;  but,  in  the  spirit 
of  self-sacrifice,  he  chose  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  the  poor 
and  needy,  and  scufiie  on  within  himself,  as  best  he  could,  for 
his  own  support. 

2d.  My  second  remark  is,  that  brother  M.  was  not  only  a 
self-denying  and  laborious  minister,  but  was  eminently  a 
useful  one,  and  was  greatly  honored  and  blest  in  the  salvation 
«/  sinners.  From  his  business  knowledge  and  habits,  from 
his  wielding  the  pen  of  a  ready  writer,  by  which  he  could 
put  into  practical  shape  his  own  thoughts  and  words,  and  that 
of  those  around  him ;  from  his  having  been  for  more  than 


236  NECROLOGY. 


twenty  years  the  Treasurer  of  Presbytery,  and  the  Secretary 
and  ivorking  man  in  her  Committee  of  Domestic  Missions, 
and  from  his  -willingness  and  ability  to  do  anything  and  ev- 
erything the  Presbytery  required  of  him,  brother  Marks  had 
become  almost  a  necessity  of  his  Presbytery.  0,  how  much 
we  miss  him  !  He  was  almost  the  Standing  Chairman  of  the 
Synod's  Financial  Committee,  and  to  disentangle  and  relieve 
a  perplexed  problem  in  finance,  we  have  yet  to  see  his  equal. 
But  it  was  chiefly  as  a  preacher  of  the  Gospel  that  brother 
Marks  was  a  blessing  to  the  Church  und  the  world.  His  spirit 
travailed  in  birth  for  the  salvation  of  sinners,  and  to  him  it 
was  given,  in  no  ordinary  degree,  to  be  "  wise  to  win  souls  to 
Christ."  How  few  are  the  Churches  in  the  bounds  of  Flint 
River  Presbytery,  that  have  not  been  blessed  with  times  of 
refreshing,  in  connection  with,  and  in  consequence  of,  his 
labors  ?  He  fell  a  martyr  to  his  zeal  on  this  subject,  and 
he  closed  his  active  ministerial  life  amidst  the  joys  of  the 
harvest  home. 

The  last  two  protracted  meetings  which  he  conducted — 
one  at  Americus  and  the  other  at  Fort  Gains — were  crowned 
with  a  rich  ingathering  of  souls.  But  his  labors  were  too 
great  for  his  frail  body,  and  he  went  home  to  bleed  and  die. 
His  first  hemorrhage  from  the  lungs  took  place  on  the  cars, 
on  his  return ;  and  so  free  and  copious  was  it,  that  both  he 
and  his  friends  thought  it  would  terminate  his  life,  even  be- 
fore he  could  reach  the  nearest  depot,  where  medical  aid 
could  be  employed.  Whilst  lying  on  the  verge  of  eternity, 
as  he  supposed,  his  faith  was  turned  into  vision.  The  ex- 
ceeding greatness  of  the  recompense  about  to  be  awarded 
him,  overwhelmed  him,  and  he  exclaimed  in  his  heart, 
"Blessed  Jesus  !  this  is  too  much — infinitely  too  great  a  glory 
to  be  conferred  upon  a  poor,  miserable  sinner,  such  as  J 
am!"  "Too  much  for  your  deserving,"  said  the  Saviour, 
"but  not  too  much  for  my  grace  to  give.  For  my  love's 
sake,  and  far  my  name's  sake,  I  give  all  this  grace  and 


REV.    RICHARD   T.   MARKS.  237 

glory!  "  "Never  before,"  said  brother  M.,  "did  I  feel  so 
deeply  my  own  utter  insignificance  and  worthlessness;  and 
never  before  was  I  so  lost  in  wonder,  love  and  praise,  at  the 
exceeding  riches  of  the  grace  and  glory  of  my  Saviour." 
But  brother  M.  was  mistaken  as  to  the  speedy  issue  of  the 
attack.  Five  years  longer  was  he  to  linger  in  the  valley  and 
shadow  of  death;  but  never  again  was  he  allowed  to  proclaim 
publicly  the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ.  This  he  felt  to 
be  his  greatest  trial.  The  only  regret  or  complaint  he  was 
ever  heard  to  utter  during  his  protracted  and  painful  afilic- 
tion,  was  that  he  could  not  show  forth  the  grace  and  glory 
of  his  adorable  Redeemer.  "  0,"  said  he,  "if  I  were  per- 
mitted again  to  preach,  I  would,  I  think,  preach  so  differentli/ 
— so  much  more  to  the  point,  and  so  much  better  than  I  ever 
have  done.  I  would  throw  away,  as  foolishness,  all  the  gew- 
gaws of  human  rhetoric  and  reason,  and  know  nothing  but 
Jesus  Christ  and  Him  crucified." 

His  death  was  such  as  became  such  a  Christian.  It  was 
not  so  much  a  death  as  a  translation.'  So  long  had  he  dwelt 
on  the  borders  of  that  better  land — so  familiar  had  he  become, 
by  contemplation,  with  the  faces  and  forms  of  its  blessed 
inhabitants,  and  with  their  enjoyments  and  employments,  and 
so  fully  assured  did  lie  feel  of  his  "inheritance  amongst  the 
saints  in  light,"  that,  to  him,  dying  was,  in  truth,  but  going 
home.  The  heavenly  recognition  was  to  him  a  source  of 
great  comfort.  He  often  spoke  with  pleasure  of  soon  seeing 
loved  ones  that  had  gone  before,  and  .of  meeting  loved  ones 
who  would  soon  follow  on.  When  requested  to  bear  a  mes- 
sage to  his  sainted  brother  Dudley,  who  had  died  two  weeks 
before,  he  nodded  his  head,  and  smiled  at  the  anticipated 
pleasure.  Never,  to  surrounding  friends,  did  heaven  appear 
so  near  or  so  natural  as  in  that  chamber  when  this  good  man 
breathed  his  last.  "  0,  if  I  could  tell  you  what  I  see  and 
feel !"  When  life.had  become  exhaustive  labor,  he  exclaimed, 
"I  am  so  tired — so  tired!     I  want  to  go  home  to  rest!" 


238  NECROLOGY. 


After  trying  in  vain  to  put  his  signature  to  a  paper,  when 
his  right  hand  had  forgot  its  skill  and  cunning,  he  said,  "Lay 
me  down;  it  makes  no  difference;  all  is  right;  and  turning 
upon  his  side,  with  his  hand  under  his  face,  without  a  strug- 
gle or  a  groan,  Richard  T.  Marks  breathed  his  last.  His 
friends  thought  he  was  asleep.     He  was  asleep  in  Jesus. 

He  left  a  loved  and  cherished  wife  and  four  children  to 
mourn  their  loss,  and  rejoice  in  his  infinite  gain.  He  died 
in  Americus,  Ga.,  at  the  house  of  his  son-in-law,  Doctor 
Bruce,  on  the  6th  of  December,  1867,  in  the  59th  year  of 
his  age. 


KEY.  WILLIAM  MATHEWS  * 


William  Mathews,  the  subject  of  this  memorial,  was  born 
of  pious  parents,  in  Franklin  county,  Ga.,  on  the  14th  of 
November,  1819.  His  father,  Phineas  Mathews,  was  the  son 
of  William  Mathews,  of  Jackson  county,  Ga.,  a  Revolution- 
ary soldier,  and  for  many  years  a  ruling  elder  of  Bethesda, 
now  Sandy  Creek,  Church.  His  mother  was  a  daughter  of 
James  W.  Towns,  of  Madison  county. 

He  was  dedicated  to  God  in  infancy,  and  enjoyed  the  ad- 
vantages of  early  religious  training.  He  was  noted  for 
sobriety  from  early  childhood,  and  never  seemed  inclined  to 
engage  in  the  sports  and  amusements  in  which  other  boys 
delighted.  He  delighted  in  passing  his  time  in  reading.  His 
fondness  for  books,  and  his  retentive  memory,  enabled  him 
to  acquire  a  greater  amount  of  historical  knowledge  than 
most  youths,  of  his  age  and  limited  opportunities,  generally 
do. 

He  was  the  subject  of  religious  impressions  from  early 
childhood;  yet  he  has  been  heard  to  say  ofttimes,  that  he 
could  not  point  to  the  time  when  he  experienced  a  change  of 
heart — a  fact  not  very  infrequent  with  those  whose  minds 
have  been  imbued  with  religious  truth  from  very  early  youth. 
He  united  with  the  Church  when  he  was  about  fifteen  years 
old. 

His  limited  means  prevented  his  enjoying  the  advantages 
of  a  thorough  ftjllegiate  course  of  instruction.  He  was  pu- 
pil for  several  years  in  the  Gwinnett  Manual  Labor  School. 
After  leaving  the  Institute  he  taught  school  in  the  family  of 
the  late  Dr.  C.  C.  Jones,  of  Liberty  county,  for  one  year. 
He  subsequently  taught  in  the  county  of  Mcintosh,  during 

*  Mss.  from  the  family  of  Prof.  Lane. 

239 


240  NECROLOGY. 


two  or  three  years.  Part  of  the  time  during  his  sojourn  in 
this  county,  he  had  the  care  of  his  two  brothers  and  two  sis- 
ters. We  think  he  entered  the  Theological  Seminary  at 
Columbia  in  1846,  and  after  the  usual  course  of  study,  was 
licensed  to  preach  the  Gospel  by  Flint  River  Presbytery,  in 
the  summer  of  1849.  In  the  fall  of  1849,  he  entered  upon 
his  field  of  labor  as  a  missionary,  in  the  counties  of  Baker, 
Early  and  Randolph.  Gradually  contracting  his  field  of 
operations,  he  became,  in  process  of  time,  pastor  of  the  Pa- 
chitla  Church,  in  Calhoun  county.  After  a  few  years  spent 
in  this  sphere,  the  relation  was  dissolved,  and  he  then  became 
the  stated  supply  of  the  Church  at  Perry,  Houston  county, 
during  twelve  months,  preaching  also  at  other  points,  in  two 
adjacent  counties. 

In  1857,  he  received  a  call  from  the  Mineral  Spring  Church, 
Decatur  county,  Ga.,  within  the  bounds  of  the  Florida  Pres- 
bytery. He  accepted  the  call,  and  was  installed  its  pastor 
some  months  after  he  removed  to  the  county.  This  relation 
he  sustained  until  it  was  dissolved  by  death. 

In  July,  1858,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Martha 
Shivers,  of  Macon,  Ga. 

Until  within  a  few  months  previous  to  his  decease,  his 
health  was  generally  good,  excepting  a  chronic  disease,  with 
which  he  was  afflicted  from  early  childhood;  but  of  this  he 
had  been  almost  entirely  relieved  a  few  years  before  his 
death. 

In  the  winter  of  1862,  at  the  earnest  desire  of  some  of  his 
neighbors,  he  consented  to  teach  school.  The  duties  of  pastor 
and  teacher  combined,  proved  too  laborious  for  him,  and  no 
doubt  contributed,  in  a  good  degree,  to  undel*mine  his  health, 
and  bring  about  his  premature  death.  The  summer  prior  to 
his  demise,  he  had  a  severe  attack  of  disease,  which  so  much 
prostrated  his  system  that  he  never  seemed  to  rally  entirely 
from  its  effects.  Afterwards  he  had  frequent  attacks  of 
chills  and  fever,  which  weakened  him  very  much.    His  health 


REV.    WILLIAM    MATHEWS.  241 

was  at  length  so  much  impaired  that  he  was  obliged  to  dis- 
continue his  school  before  the  end  of  the  year.  In  November 
he  went  to  Macon  with  his  family,  hoping  that  a  change 
might  prove  beneficial  to  him. 

While  in  Macon  he  attended  the  meeting  of  the  Synod  of 
Georgia,  which  he  seemed  to  enjoy  very  much.  A  few  weeks 
after  the  Synod  adjourned,  he  was  attacked  with  pneumonia. 
A  physician  was  called  in,  but  he  did  not  apprehend  any 
danger,  nor  did  his  family.  About  thirty  hours  before  he 
expired,  his  symptoms  became  alarming;  he  suffered  in- 
tensely; his  mind  began  to  wander,  and  at  length  he  became 
insensible  to  every  object  around  him.  In  this  condition  he 
remained  until  his  ransomed  spirit  joined  the  company  of  the 
redeemed  in  heaven. 

A  short  time  before  his  intellectual  powers  failed,  he  calmly 
told  his  wife  he  felt  that  God  was  about  to  take  him  away 
from  her,  as  he  had  been  admonished,  from  time  to  time,  of 
his  approaching  dissolution.  To  a  friend  he  remarked, 
"sickness  makes  a  perfect  child  of  a  man  ;"  but  added,  "I 
feel  that  I  have  not  had  my  share  of  pain  and  suffering — not 
so,much*as  I  need."  These  were  about  his  last  intelligible 
words.  His  spirit  passed  away  on  the  20th  of  December, 
1862. 

His  loss  was  deeply  felt,  not  only  by  his  family  and  other 
relations,  but  by  the  Church  and  community  in  which  he  re- 
sided. His  people  were  warmly  attached  to  him.  To  this 
his  Church  gave  strong  expression  in  resolutions  adopted  in 
reference  to  his  death.  Brother  Mathews  possessed  a  mild 
and  gentle  disposition.  So  much  was  he  noted  for  his  kind- 
ness of  temper,  even  in  his  school-boy  days,  among  his  fel- 
low-pupils, that  he  received  from  them  the  nom  de  plume  of 
"Friend."  This  disposition  continued  with  him  through 
life.  In  the  language  of  the  minute  of  the  Synod,  "He 
possessed  a  sound  judgment,  a  correct  taste,  and  no  mean 
attainments  in  knowledge.  As  a  preacher  he  was  earnest, 
16 


242  NECROLOGY. 


solemn,  and  scriptural.  As  a  pastor  he  was  laborious,  affec- 
tionate, and  faithful.  As  a  Presbyter  he  was  courteous, 
unambitious,  and  unwavering.  As  a  Christian  he  exhibited 
the  meekness  and  gentleness  of  Christ;  and  as  a  husband, 
father,  and  friend,  he  illustrated  all  the  higher  relations 
which  God  his  Saviour  called  him  to  occupy." 

He  was  Stated  Clerk  of  the  Presbytery  of  Florida  at  the 
time  of  his  decease. 

From  the  liev.  Prof.  Lane. 

Covington,  March  8, 1864. 
Rev.  and  Dear  Sir  : 

I  can  only  give  you  my  general  impressions  iaregard  to  the  mind, 
character,  and  ministerial  qualities  of  brother  Mathews,  though  he  and 
myself  were  intimately  connected  by  marriage,  and  were  on  the  most 
cordial,  brotherly  terms.  Yet,  as  we  never  lived  near  each  other,  and 
were  together  chiefly  in  occasional  family  visits,  I  was  not  as  intimately 
acquainted  with  him,  as  a  minister,  as  one  would  expect  at  first  view. 

Brother  M.  had  a  clear,  active  mind,  of  more  than  ordinary  vigor.  His 
reading,  both  theological  and  general,  was  very  extensive.  But  few  of 
our  brethren,  of  his  age,  ever  excelled  him  in  this  particular.  In  the 
pulpit  he  was  plain  and  faithful — solid  rather  than  showy.  As  a  pastor 
he  was  conscientious  and  diligent,  and  won  the  hearts  of  his  people  by 
his  gentle,  earnest,  loving  ministrations.  His  last  sickness,  whilst  it  was 
Bent  at  the  best  time,  (being  sent  by  Infinite  Wisdom,)  was  probably 
hastened  by  too  abundant  and  too  frequent  labors  during  the  year  pre- 
ceding his  death.    «    *    *    *  Yours  fraternally, 

C.  W.  LANE. 

eid  i   cT 


KEY.  WILLIAM  McWHIR,  D.D  * 


"William  McWhir  wus  the  son  of  James  and  Jean  (Gibson) 
McWhir,  and  was  born  in  the  parish  of  Moneyrea  and  county 
of  Down,  Ireland,  on  the  9th, of  September,  1759.  His 
father  was  a  farmer,  in  comfortable  circumstances,  and  both 
his  parents  were  exemplary  professors  of  religion.  In  his 
early  childhood  he  lost  the  sight  of  one  eye,  and  came  very 
near  losing  his  life,  by  means  of  the  small-pox.  His  father 
and  grandfather  had  both  been  elders  in  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  and  his  parents  were  desirous  that  one  of  their 
children  should  be  a  minister;  and  contrary,  as  it  would 
seem,  to  his  better  judgment,  they  conferred  the  honor  on 
him.  After  having  for  some  time  attended  a  school  in  the 
neighborhood  of  his  father's  residence,  he  was  transferred  to 
another  school,  of  a  higher  order,  in  Belfast,  to  be  prepared 
for  college.  Here  he  was  brought  into  intimate  relations, 
for  some  time,  with  an  unprincipled  and  profligate  young 
man,  whose  influence  upon  him,  temporarily  at  least,  was 
very  disadvantageous.  He  remained  at  this  school  until 
1778,  when  he  was  sent  to  the  University  of  Glasgow,  being 
then  about  nineteen  years  of  age.  Here  he  passed  three 
sessions,  which  was  the  period  prescribed  for  their  candidates 
by  the  Synod  of  Ulster.  It  does  not  appear  that,  even  at 
this  time,  his  mind  was  at  all  awake  to  a  sense  of  Christian 
obligation,  notwithstanding  he  had  made  a  profession  of  re- 
ligion, and  his  studies  were  directed  with  particular  reference 
to  the  ministry. 

Immediately  after  leaving  the  University,  he  put  himself 
under  the  care  of  the  Presbytery  of  Killiheagh,  in  the  coun'ty 
of  Down,  and  having  gone  through  with  his  trials  and  Qxam-i 

*  MSS.  Autobiography — Mr.  E.  J.  Hardin,  Esq.,  Sprague's  Annals. 

243 


244  NECROLOGY. 


inations,  was  licensed  to  preach  the  Gospel  on  the  24th  of 
December,  1782.  He  war  ordained  bj  the  same  Presbyterj 
on  the  25th  of  September,  1783. 

Having,  from  the  age  of  about  twelve  years,  been  deeply  in- 
terested in  America,  by  reading  Carver's  Travels,  he  early 
formed  a  purpose,  with  the  consent  of  his  father,  (his  mother 
was  now  dead,)  to  find  a  home  on  this  side  the  water.  Ac- 
cordingly, imnaediately  after  his  ordination,  he  sailed  from 
Belfast  for  Philadelphia,  where,  on  his  arrival,  he  received 
from  various  distinguished  individuals,  a  cordial  welcome  to 
the  country.  After  a  few  weeks,  he  went,  in  compliance 
with  a  request  that  had  been  sent  to  him  previous  to  his 
leaving  Ireland,  to  engage  as  a  teacher  at  Alexandria;  and 
he  now  became  the  head  of  a  large  and  flourishing  academy, 
which  was  liberally  patronized  by  General  Washington,  and 
to  which  the  General  sent  two  of  his  nephews.  This  brought 
him  into  quite  intimate  relations  with  that  illustrious  man, 
as  well  as  with  many  other  men  of  note  in  that  neighborhood. 
The  following  is  his  account  of  his  first  visit  to  Mount 
Vernon : 

"A  few  days  after  General  Washington's  return  to  Mount 
Vernon,  I  visited  him,  in  company  with  a  countryman  of 
mine,  Ool.  Fitzgerald,  one  of  Washington's  aids.  At  the 
dinner  table  Mrs.  Washington  sat  at  the  head  of  the  table, 
and  Major  Washington  at  the  foot — the  General  sat  next 
Mrs.  Washington,  on  the  left.  He  called  upon  me  to  ask  a 
blessing  before  meat.  When  the  cloth  was  about  to  be  re- 
moved, he  returned  thanks  himself  Mrs.  Washington,  with 
a  smile,  said,  '^  My  dear,  you  forgot  that  you  had  a  clergy- 
man dining  with  you  to-day.'  With  equal  pleasantness  he 
replied,  '  My  dear,  I  wish  clergymen,  and  all  men,  to  know 
that  I  am  not  a  graceless  man  !'  "  He  goes  on  to  say,  "  I 
was  frequently  at  Mount  Vernon,  and  saw  liim  frequently  at 
Alexandria;  nor  did  I  ever  see  any  person,  whatever  might 
be  his  character  or  standing,  who  was  not  senSibly  awed  in 


REV.    WILLIAM   MCWHIR,  D.  D.  245 

his  presence,  and  by  the  impression  of  his  greatness.  The 
vivacity  and  grace  of  Mrs.  Washington  relieved  visitors  of 
some  of  that  feekng  of  awe  and  restraint  which  possessed 
them.  He  was  uniformly  grave,  and  smiled  but  seldom,  but 
always  agreeable.  His  favorite  subject  of  conversation  was 
agriculture,  and  he  scrupulously  avoided,  in  general  society, 
topics  connected  with  politics,  or  war,  or  his  own  personal 
actions." 

In  the  year  1792,  Mr.  McWhir  was  applied  to  by  an  in- 
fluential friend  in  Georgia,  to  visit  Augusta,  with  a  view  to 
taking  charge  of  both  an  academy  and  a  Presbyterian  Church 
in  that  town ;  and  as  he  found  that  his  expenses  of  living  in 
Alexandria  were  too  great  to  justify  the  expectaion  of  being 
able  to  lay  up  any  part  of  his  income,  he  was  inclined  to 
listen  to  the  application.  He  accordingly,  after  making  ar- 
rangements for  a  temporary  supply  of  his  place  in  the  acad- 
emy, proceeded  to  Augusta  on  horseback ;  but  on  his  arrival, 
found  that  the  affairs  of  both  the  Church  and  the  academy 
were  so  identified  with  the  movements  of  political  parties, 
that  there  was  little  encouragement  to  him  to  remain.  He 
therefore  returned  almost  immediately  to  Alexandria,  only, 
however,  to  resign  his  place  in  the  academy,  and  to  get  ready 
to  seek  a  more  southern  residence.  As  soon  as  he  could 
make  the  necessary  arrangements,  he  left  Alexandria,  and 
went  to  Savannah,  and  thence  to  Bryan  county,  to  visit  some 
of  his  friends.  During  his  sojourn  there,  he  accepted  an 
invitation  from  the  people  of  Sunbury,  in  Liberty  county,  to 
take  charge  of  their  Church  and  academy,  both  of  which 
were  at  that  time  vacant.  Here  his  labors  as  teacher  and 
minister  overtasked  his  strength,  though  his  preaching  was 
remarkably  well  attended,  and  his  school  grew  constantly  in 
numbers  and  popularity. 

About  this  time  he  was  married  to  a  Mrs.  Baker,  a  lady 
of  an  excellent  character  and  about  his  own  age,  and  shortly 
after  he  purchased  a  plantation  a  few  miles  from  Sunbury, 


246  NECROLOGY. 


to  which  he  gave  the  name  of  Springfield.  After  continuing 
in  his  school  about  five  years,  he  removed  with  his  family  to 
his  plantation,  in  consequence  of  finding  that  his  health  suf- 
fered from  the  excessive  labor  which  the  two  oflBces  of  minis- 
ter and  teacher  devolved  upon  him.  He  however,  in  com- 
pliance with  the  urgent  solicitation  of  his  friends,  soon 
opened  a  select  school  at  Springfield.  For  awhile  he  con- 
tinued to  preach  at  Sunbury,  but  as  the  school  became  large, 
he  held  religious  services  on  the  Sabbath  at  Springfield.  His 
school  he  kept  up  for  several  years,  until  the  labor  and  re- 
sponsibility became  so  great  that  he  resolved  once  more  to 
abandon  teaching. 

Still,  however,  he  was  not  willing  to  lead  an  inactive  life, 
and  the  great  destitution  of  the  means  of  grace  in  the  sur- 
rounding region,  impressed  him  with  the  obligation  still  to 
preach,  as  had  opportunity.-  About  the  year  1809,  he  com- 
menced preaching  at  the  Court  House  in  Mcintosh  county, 
about  twelve  miles  from  Darien,  where,  in  the  midst  of  great 
darkness,  and  the  most  violent  opposition  to  religion,  he  suc- 
ceeded in  organizing  a  Church.  His  labors  here  were  almost 
entirely  gratuitous.  From  this  station  he  went  to  Darien, 
where  he  labored  for  some  time;  and  after  the  building  of  a 
new  place  of  worship,  the  Mcintosh-  Church  was  transferred 
to  the  latter  place. 

An  event  now  occurred  in  the  life  of  Mr.  McWhir,  which, 
to  those  who  have  followed  his  history  to  this  point,  will  be  a 
matter  of  no  little  surprise.  Notwithstanding  he  had  always 
been  a  minister,  in  regular  standing,  of  the  Presbyterian- 
Church,  he  had  been,  even  from  the  time  he  commenced  his 
education,  privately  a  Unitarian.  Having  occasion  to  re-ex- 
amine the  Scriptures,  about  the  year  1812,  with  a  view  to 
prove  their  Divine  authority,  he  was  led  to  take  a  new  view 
of  the  doctrines  they  contain,  and,  at  no  distant  period,  be- 
came thoroughly  satisfied  that  the  creed  which  he  had  before 
only  professed  to  receive,  really  embodied  the  true  sense  of 


REV.    WILLIAM    MCWHIR,  D.  D.  247 

the  Word  of  God.  This  change  of  religious  opinion,  led,  of 
course,  to  a  corresponding  change  in  his  preaching,  which 
did  not  escape  the  observation  of  those  to  whom  he  minis- 
tered. 

In  September,  1804,  there  was  a  tremendous  hurricane, 
which  desolated  the  coast  of  Georgia,  sweeping  directly  over 
his  plantation,  and  occasioning  him  a  loss  of  about  fourteen 
thousand  dollars.  Being  now  urged  to  take  charge  again  of 
the  Sunbury  Academy.  He  did  so,  partly  with  a  view  to 
repair  his  fortunes.  After  a  few  years,  he  relinquished  it 
again,  on  account  of  his  health ;  he  again  returned  to  it,  and 
continued  his  connection  with  it  awhile  longer.  On  leaving 
it  the  third  time,  he  gave  up  teaching  as  a  profession,  though 
he  occasionally  received  a  few  pupils  to  instruct  in  a  private 
way.  .  ^      ^  !' 

In  1819,  he  suflFered  a  severe  affliction  in  the  death  of  his^ 
wife.  After  this,  his  health  being  much  enfeebled,  he  de- 
termined on  a  visit  to  his  native  country.  Accordingly,  in 
the  spring  of  1820,  having  attended  the  sessions  of  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly  at  Philadelphia,  he  sailed  for  Liverpool,  and 
after  remaining  there  a  short  time,  passed  on  to  London, 
where  he  was  knocked  down  in  the  street  by  robbers,  and  so' 
severely  injured  as  to  be  confined  to  his  room  for  a  month. 
Thence  he  went  to  Ireland,  and  visited  the  few  of  his  relatives 
and  acquaintances  that  remained  after  the  lapse  of  forty 
years;  and  in  the  spring  of  1821,  proceeded  to  Scotland, 
where  he  had  the  pleasure  of  making  the  acquaintance  of. 
.Dr.  Chalmers,  and  being  present  at  the  session  of  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly  of  the  Church  of.  Scotland.  He  returned  to 
the  United  States  in  the  autumn  of  that  year,  with  renovated 
health. 

In  1824,  in  consequence  of  a  representation  which  had 
been  made  to  him  of  the  deplorable  destitution  of  the  means 
of  grace  in  East  Florida,  he  was  induced  to  visit  St.  Augus- 
tine, with  a  view  to  making  an  effort  for  the  promotion  of  the 


248  NECROLOGY. 


Redeemer's  kingdom.  He  accordingly  constituted  a  Pres- 
byterian Church,  and  ordajned  elders  there;  and,  for  several 
years  after  this,  Avas  engaged  in  collecting  funds  requisite 
for  building  a  Church  edifice,  and,  in  due  time,  he  had  the 
pleasure  to  see  the  object  accomplished. 

From  1827  to  1835,  he  was  engaged  in  supplying  vacant 
Churches  in  Bryan,  Liberty,  and  Mcintosh  counties,  and  in 
various  efforts  for  the  promotion  of  the  cause  of  education. 
In  1838,  he  disposed  of  his  homestead  and  went  to  Savan- 
nah, where  he  remained  more  than  a  year.  He  then  ac- 
cepted an  invitation  from  his  friend  Major  Wm.  J.  Mcintosh, 
of  Bryan  county,  to  reside  in  his  family,  and  he  actually 
lived  there  till  1847,  when  he  returned  to  Savannah,  and 
fixed  his  home  in  the  family  of  his  grandson,  (by  marriage,) 
Edward  J.  H;irdin,  Esq.  At  the  age  of  nearly  ninety,  he 
became  a  volunteer  colporteur  of  the  American  Tract  Soci- 
ety, and  continued  in  this  service  till  he  was  too  feeble  to 
labor.  For  several  years  previous  to  his  death,  he  was  una- 
ble to  preach,  but  he  never  lost  his  interest  in  religious 
meetings,  and  was  a  regular  attendant  at  Church,  even  down 
to  the  Sabbath  immediately  preceding  his  death.  He  died 
at  the  liouse  of  a  friend  in  Liberty  county,  in  perfect  peace, 
on  the  olst  of  January,  1851,  in  the  ninety-second  year  of 
his  age.  His  funeral  was  attended  at  Midway  Church, 
whence,  in  accordance  with  his  expressed  wish,  his  remains 
were  carried  to  Sunbury,  and  buried  beside  those  of  his  wife. 
In  the  disposal  of  his  property,  which  was  not  large,  he  made 
Beveral  bequests  to  charitable  institutions.  He  left  no  de- 
scendant and  no  relative  in  this  country. 

The  degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity  was  conferred  upon  him 
by  Franklin  College,  in  Georgia,  in  1832. 


REV.    WILLIAM    MCWHIR,  D.  D.  249 


From  the  Rev.  C.  C.  Jones,  D.D 

ITY 

March  24, 1855 


RiCEBORO,  Liberty  County,  Ga.,    ) 


My  Dear  Sir: 

I  knew  Dr.  McWliir  in  my  childhood,  and  as  a  friend  and  frequent 
visitor  in  our  family,  and  was  afterwards  a  pupil  in  his  school.  He  was 
one  of  my  examiners  when  received  into  the  Presbytery  of  Georgia,  and 
also  when  I  was  ordained  by  that  body.  The  friendship  which  he  enter- 
tained for  my  parents,  he  transferred  to  thtir  son,  and  were,  for  some 
twenty  years,  on  terms  of  intimacy  and  confidential  friendship. 

He  was  a  man  of  medium  stature,  of  good  proportions,  muscular  and 
quick  in  his  movements,  and  with  uucomtnon  powers  of  endurance.  He 
had  a  pure  Irish  face,  and  Laving  been  disfigured  in  childliood  b}^  the 
small-pox,  was  homely,  and,  becoming  prematurely  gray  and  bald,  he 
carried  the  appearance,  in  his  countenance,  of  a  man  advanced  in  years, 
when  he  was  not  as  yet  past  middle  life.  His  personal  habits  were  the 
neatest  imaginable.  I  do  not  remember  ever  having  seen  him  dressed 
otherwise  than  as  a  geutltman  and  a  clergyman.  He  possessed  great 
self-respect,  and  a  high  appreciation  of  his  otQce.  He  desired  always  to 
be  recognized  and  treated  as  a  clergyman.  He  never  himself  forgot,  nor 
suffered  others  to  forget  that  he  was  one.  His  manners,  in  the  family, 
and  in  his  associitlou  with  all  classes,  were  uncommonly  polished  and 
dignified;  and  aside  from  the  politeness,  which  seemed  natural  to  him, 
he  was  formed  upon  the  model  of  a  gentleman  seen  in  the  Old  Dominion 
at  the  period  of  the  Revolution. 

Dr.  McWhir  exacted  in  society  much  attention,  but  it  was  fully  re- 
turned, and  seemed  a  spontaneous  movement,  on  his  part,  to  preserve 
that  elevation  of  manners,  and  that  mutual  respect,  which  add  so 
great  a  charm  to  the  intercourse  of  life.  He  was  the  most  perfectly  social 
man  that  I  have  ever  known.  Warm  and  sincere  in  his  attachments,  it 
was  a  real,  heartfelt  pleasure  to  him  to  be  in  the  society  of  his  friends, 
and  to  mingle  with  men  of  distinction  ;  and  his  effort  was,  by  cheerfulness 
of  spirit,  and  ready  and  easy  powers  of  conversation,  to  convert  the  hour 
or  the  day,  as  the  case  might  be,  into  one  ot  high, social  and  friendly  en- 
joyment.    Fond  of  children,  they  never  escaped  his  notice. 

In  intellectual  power,  he  was,  perhaps,  not  superior  to  the  general 
mass  of  his  brethren;  yet  an  excellent  scholar,  well  grounded  in  Latin 
and  Greek,  and  in  the  usual  branches  of  English  education,  and  had  no 
superior,  in  his  day,  as  a  teacher  and  disciplinarian.  His  reputation  as 
such  was  unbounded,  and  he  is  remembered  more  as  a  teacher  and  a 
friend  of  education  and  a  patron  of  learning,  than  as  a  minister,  although 
he  ranked  among  our  first  Presbyterian  ministers,  and  bore  his  part  re- 
putably in  the  early  efforts  to  establish  our  Church  in  the  State.  Of  real 
courage,  and  of  mercurial  temperament,  of  a  high  sense  of  honor  and 


250  NECROLOGY. 


justice,  and  of  strict  integrity,  energetic  and  prompt  in  decision  and  ac- 
tion, bis  scliools  were  always  models  of  morality  and  of  order.  He  was 
a  terror  to  evil  doers.  No  fear  of  personal  consequences  to  himself,  nor 
family  connections,  nor  wealth,  nor  friendly  relations,  nor  poverty  on  the 
part  of  bis  pupils,  served  to  screen  the  guilty.  He  used  the  rod  spar, 
ingl}',  but,  when  necessary,  most  effectively.  He  was  long  a  teacher,  and 
educated  fathers  and  their  sons.  Scholars  were  sent  to  him  from  all  parts 
of  the  State,  and  when  not  engaged  in  teaching,  he  traveled  in  our  own 
country,  and  in  England,  and  Scotland,  and  Ireland,  to  perfect  himself, 
and  to  become  master  of  improvements  in  that  great  art.  His  energy 
and  perseverance  were  such  as  to  secure  him  success  in  whatever  he 
undertook.  Never  having  studied  Theology  systematically,  and  coming, 
as  he  believed,  to  a  saving  knowledge  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  some 
years  after  bis  migration  to  the  United  States,  and  the  period  of  study 
with  him  was  waning,  and  much  of  bis  time  occupied  in  teaching,  and 
constant  engagements  adverse  to  close  application,  he  could  not  be  ranked 
among  accomplished  Theologians,  although  be  was  firmly  settled  upon 
the  doctrines  of  our  Confession  of  Faith.  He  adhered  conscientiously  to 
the  Old  School  branch  of  our  Church,  through  every  trial  and  difiiculty. 
His  preaching,  after  I  knew  him,  partook  more  of  the  practical  and  hor- 
tatory, than  the  doctrinal.  He  bad  a  habit  of  yielding  to  bis  feelings  in 
preaching,  and  most  commonly  was  affected  to  tears.  He  contributed 
liberally  to  our  benevolent  societies  and  objects,  while  be  bad  a  special 
interest  in  the  circulation  of  the  Scriptures,  and  in  our  missionary  opera- 
tions, both  at  home  and  abroad.  He  was  one  of  the  earliest  advocates  of 
the  Temperance  Reformation,  and  adhered  to  its  principles  to  the  day  of 
his  death.  Towards  the  close  of  his  life,  bis  heart  was  more  than  ordi- 
narily interested  in  the  progress  of  the  Gospel  on  the  earth,  and  in  its 
success  he  greatly  rejoiced.  His  l-eadiug  was  chiefly  religious  and  devo- 
tional, and  he  seemed  to  be  rapidly  maturing  for  Heaven.  The  lamp  of 
life  literally  burnt  to  the  socket,  and  mind  and  body  wasted  away  in 
extreme  age  unto  death. 

My  last  conversation  with  him,  which  occurred  not  many  weeks  be- 
fore bis  death,  found  him  fixed  upon  the  "  Rock  of  Ages."  Said  he, 
"  My  dear  friend,  I  cannot  say  that  1  have  the  faith  of  assurance,  but  I 
think  I  can  say  I  have  an  assured  hope." 

Wishing  you  success  and  usefulness  in  j'-our  work, 

I  am  very  truly  yours  in  the  Lord, 

C.  C  JONES. 


REV.  RICHARD  ANDREW  MILNER.* 


Richard  Andrew  Milner  was  the  child  of  pious  parents. 
The  family,  it  is  believed,  came  originally  from  England.  He 
was  born  in  Laurens  District,  South  Carolina,  October  28, 
1816.  He  enjoyed  in  early  youth  the  advantages  of  Chris- 
tian education.  His  father  was  many  years  an  elder  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church. 

Richard  was  hopefully  converted  in  his  sixteenth  year, 
under  the  preaching  of  Dr.  Daniel  Baker,  and  soon  there- 
after made  a  public  confession  of  his  faith  in  Christ.  At 
the  time  of  his  conversion  he  was  pursuing  studies  prepara- 
tory for  entering  College,  in  the  village  academy  at  Laurens 
C.  H.,  under  the  care  of  a  Mr.  Robert  Spier.  He  entered 
the  Freshman  class  in  Franklin  College,  Athens,  Ga.,  in  the 
fall  of  1833.  After  graduating,  he  studied  law,  and  was 
licensed  to  practice  in  1839.  But  the  law  was  not  congenial 
with  his  taste,  and  the  following  year,  1840,  he  abandoned 
it,  and  turned  his  attention  to  the  study  of  Theology,  which 
he  pursued  privately,  and,  in  due  course  of  time,  was  licensed 
to  preach  the  Gospel,  by  the  Etowah  Presbytery,  a  body  in 
connection  with  the  New  School  Presbyterian  Church.  That 
Presbytery  becoming  extinct,  he  joined  the  Cherokee  Pres- 
bytery, the  year  in  which  it  had  been  set  off  by  the  Synod  of 
South  Carolina  and  Georgia,  and  was  by  it  ordained  to  the 
full  work  of  the  Ministry,  as  an  evangelist,  in  1844.  He 
was  engaged  in  the  missionary  work  during  several  years, 
within  the  bounds  of  his  Presbytery,  and  as  stated  supply  of 
the  Church  at  Friendship,  near  Cartersville,  of  which  his 
venerable  father,  Arnold  Milner,  was  a  ruling  elder.  He 
had  removed  with  his  family  from  South  Carolina  in  1834. 

*MSS.  from  llev.  J.  F.  Lannean. 

251 


252  NECROLOGY. 


Mr.  Milner  also  preached  at  Cassvillc,  Adairsville,  and  Cal- 
houn during  these  years.  In  all  these  places  he  labored 
with  great  acceptance  and  usefulness.  He  was  a  Boanerges 
— no  one  has  ever  been  more  popular  in  these  places,  as  a 
preacher  of  the  Gospel.  He  is  represented  to  have  been  a 
man  of  glowing  zeal,  a  clear  head,  ready  utterance,  and  pow- 
erful action  in  the  pulpit — just  such  a  man  as  would  secure 
the  attention,  and  move  the  hearts  of  the  masses. 

In  the  autumn  of  1855,  he  received  and  accepted  a  call 
from  the  united  Churches  of  Cartersville  and  Euharlee,  in 
the  san>e  county,  to  become  their  pastor,  and  was  installed 
at  Cartersville,  on  the  4th  Sabbath  in  October,  1855,  with 
the  expectation  of  supplying,  occasionally,  the  Church  at 
Cassville.  He  was  unwell  at  the  time,  but  consented  to  be 
carried,  in  his  feeble  state  of  health,  to  the  Church  at  Cart- 
ersville, where  the  solemn  services  were  performed.  From 
thence  he  returned  to  his  sick  bed,  which  was  to  him,  in  two 
weeks  afterwards,  the  bed  of  death.  He  died  on  the  13th 
of  November,  1855,  the  day  on  which  the  Synod  of  Georgia 
met  at  LaGrange,  Ga. 

Thus  suddenly,  and  under  peculiarly  trying  circumstances 
was  this  young,  able,  faithful,  and  successful  minister  of  the 
Gospel,  at  the  early  age  of  39,  taken  away  from  a  large  and 
promising  field  of  labor. 

Ordained  in  the  same  year  in  which  the  Cherokee  Pres- 
bytery was  organized,  he  was  identified  with  all  the  interests 
of  that  Presbytery  from  its  beginning,  and  with  the  cause 
and  welfare  of  Presbyterianism  within  that  interesting  por- 
tion of  the  Synod. 

During  the  eleven  years  of  his  ministerial  life,  he  was 
greatly  instrumental,  under  God,  of  lengthening  the  cords 
and  strengthening  the  stakes  of  the  tabernacle  of  our  be- 
loved Zion.  He  was  permitted  the  joy  of  seeing  his  Pres- 
bytery increase  from  four  to  twenty  ministers,  and  from  nine 
to  thirty-five  Churches.     His  humble  and  ardent  piety,  his 


REV.    RICHARD   ANDREW   MILNER.  253 

burning  zeal,  and  his  untiring  energy,  his  touching  and  glow- 
ing eloquence,  won  for  him  the  confidence  and  the  love  of 
his  brethren,  and  a  wide-spread  popularity  and  usefulness. 
But  just  as  he  was  entering  upon  his  pastoral  work,  over 
Churches  in  a  great  measure  gathered  and  sustained  by  his 
exertions,  and  which  were  growing  in  importance  and  influ- 
ence, it  pleased  the  Great  Head  of  the  Church  to  remove 
him  from  his  labors  on  earth,  as  we  humbly  trust,  to  his  re- 
ward and  rest  in  heaven. 

Mr.  Milner  was  married  on  the  12th  of  December,  1843, 
to  Miss  Lucinda  Slator  Brogden,  of  Oothcoologa  Valley,  by 
whom  he  had  two  sons  and  four  daughters,  who,  with  his 
bereaved  widow,  were  left  to  mourn  his  untimely  departure. 

His  eldest  son,  who  professed  conversion  under  the  preach- 
ing of  Dr.  Stiles,  in  1859,  and  united  with  the  Church  at 
Cartersville,  is  now  a  candidate  for  the  Gospel  ministry, 
under  the  care  of  the  Presbytery  ^of  Cherokee.  We  trust 
that  the  mantle  of  his  sainted  father  may  fall  on  him,  and 
that  he  may  be  qualified  by  the  training  of  God's  spirit  and 
providence,  to  become,  like  him,  a  valuable  and  useful  laborer 
in  the  Master's  vineyard. 


REV.  W.  N.  PEACOCK. 


We  have  been  able  to  gather  a  very  few  facts  in  relation 
to  the  life,  character,  and  ministry  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Peacock. 
The  following  brief  communication  contains  the  sum  and 
substance  of  all  that  is  known  concerning  him.  These  state- 
ments were  obtained  from  his  family.  He  does  not  seem  to 
have  been  actively  engaged  in  the  ministerial  work  after  his 
removal  to  Florida.  He  was  diligent  in  business,  but,  per- 
haps, deficient  in  fervency  of  spirit. 

From  the  Rev.  A.  Baker. 

Madison,  Fla.,  August  29, 1864. 
Rev.  and  Dear  Sir  : 

*  *  *  The  Rev.  W.  N.  Peacock  was  born  in  Montgomery 
county,  N.  C,  on  the  28th  of  June,  1803.  His  fatlier  was  a  Presbyterian 
minister,  and  a  native  of  Glasgow,  Scotland. 

Mr.  Peacock,  the  subject  of  this  brief  sketch,  received  his  education, 
principally,  from  a  Mr.  McMullan,  a  distinguished  teacher  of  that  day. 
So  far  as  we  know,  he  never  went  to  college,  and  if  he  did,  it  was  only 
for  a  short  time,  for  he  never  graduated.  His  literary  course  was  imper- 
fect. His  Theological  education  could  not  have  been  thorough,  for  it 
was  commenced  after  his  marriage,  under  the  direction  of  the  Rev.  Colin 
Mclver,  of  Fayetteville,  N.  C.  He  married  when  about  20  years  of  age. 
He  was  licensed  to  preach  the  Gospel  by  the  Presbytery  of  Fayetteville, 
in  1833.  He  was  called  to  supply  several  small  Churches  in  his  native 
county,  which  he  served  for  a  number  of  years,  with  commendable  zeal 
and  usefulness.  His  health  failing,  from  the  weakness  of  his  lungs,  he 
removed  to  Florida  in  1855,  where  he  was  able  to  do  little  preaching.  I 
believe  he  never  had  a  charge  in  this  State. 

As  to  the  character  of  his  mind,  I  would  say  that  he  had  rather  more 
than  ordinary  native  talent.  He  was  no  book  worm,  but  studied  men 
and  things  around  him.  He  was  a  man  of  quick  temper.  He  was  fond 
of  argument,  especially  on  doctrinal  questions.  He  often  discussed  the 
doctrine  of  election  in  the  pulpit.  He  was  not  eloquent,  nor  was  he  a 
popular  preacher,  but  sound  and  sincere.  His  ministry  was  much  inter- 
rupted by  his  love  of  his  farm.  It  may  truly  be  said  of  him,  that  he  was 
diligent  in  business.  He  had  few  equals  in  the  farm,  and  by  this  he  grew 
rich.  This  detracted  much  from  his  usefulness,  and  laid  the  foundation 
for  a  charge  against  him  by  his  enemies,  that  he  loved  money.  He 
died  on  the  24th  of  September,  1863.    ***** 

Yours  very  truly,     A.  BAKER. 
254 


REV.  ROBEET  QtTARTERMAlN'.  * 


The  Congregational  Church  of  Midway,  Liberty  county,  has 
been  long  and  well  knowm  in  Georgia.  It  is  about  one  hun- 
dred years  old,  having  its  origin  some  time  before  the  Revolu- 
tionary War.  The  ancestors  of  those  who  composed  it  were 
Puritans  from  Dorchester,  England,  who  first  settled  at  Dor- 
chester, Massachusetts,  and  emigrated  there  in  a  body,  with 
their  pastor,  and  formed  a  settlement  about  20  miles  from 
Charleston,  S.C.,  at  a  place  which  they  also  called  Dorchester. 
This  locality  proving  unhealthy,  they  again  removed  in  a 
body,  and  settled  in  Liberty  county,  then  called  St.  John's 
Parish.  About  half  way  from  Savannah  to  Darien,  the 
traveler  passes  the  Church  on  the  left  of  the  road,  with  the 
grave  yard  on  the  right,  where  sleep  the  remains  of  most  of 
the  original  settlers. 

Among  the  early  pastors  of  this  Church,  more  than  half 
a  century  ago,  was  the  Rev.  Murdock  Murphy,  brother  of 
the  late  Governor  Murphy,  of  Alabama,  who  resigned  his 
charge  in  order  to  spend  the  residue  of  his  days  near  his 
brother,  having  served  the  Church  faithfully  and  acceptably 
about  ten  years.  He  had  been  preceded  for  the  previous  20 
years,  in  the  same  office,  by  the  Rev.  Cyrus  Gildersleeve, 
"who  was  afterwards  settled  in  New  Jersey,  and  finished  his 
course  at  Wilkesbarre,  Pa.  Robert  Quarterman,  the  subject 
of  the  following  memoir,  succeeded  Mr.  Murphy  in  1822,  or 
1823. 

Robert  Quarterman  was  born  in  Liberty  county,  Ga.,  on 
the  13th  day  of  January,  1787.  Bereaved  in  childhood  of 
father  and  mother,  he  was  taken  into  the  family,  first,  of  a 
sister,  and  afterwards  that  of  an  aunt,  where,  in  early  life, 
he  received  those  religious  impressions  which  were  afterwards 
80  fully  and  so  brightly  developed. 

MSS.  from  Rev.  T.  Sumner  Winn  and  Miss  Quarterman. 

355 


256  NECROLOGY. 


He  received  his  classical  training  in  the  Sunbury  Acad- 
emy. In  the  year  1809,  when  he  was  twenty-two  years  old, 
he  united  himself  to  the  Church  at  Midway,  in  his  native 
county,  and  was  chosen  to  the  oflSce  of  deacon  in  the  same 
Church  in  1811. 

The  war  with  Great  Britain  commenced  in  1812.  The 
people  of  Liberty  county  were  on  the  alert,  and  ready,  as 
they  had  ever  been,  to  oppose  the  enemies  of  their  country. 
Their  ancestors,  in  the  war  of  the  Revolution  of  1776,  had 
been  so  distinguiiihed  for  their  lofty  bearing  and  love  of  lib- 
erty, that  the  name  of  their  county  had  been  changed  from 
that  of  St.  John's  Parish  to  that  of  Liberty. 

The  British  fleet  threatening  to  effect  a  landing  on  the 
coast  of  Georgia,  every  important  point  was  carefully  guarded. 
In  the  history  of  these  times,  among  others,  appe.irs  the 
name  of  Robert  Quarterman,  who  had  nobly  re?ponded  to  the 
call  of  his  country,  and  volunteered  his  services  in  defence 
of  hei"  invaded  rights,  lie  was  elected  captain  of  the  rifle 
company,  and  was  stationed  at  Darien.  His  noble  bearing, 
his  stately  mein,  his  courteous  manners,  his  officer-like  con- 
duct, and  his  Christian  deportment,  won  for  him  the  confi- 
dence of  his  men,  and  commanded  the  respect  of  all  the 
people. 

The  following  extract,  from  a  historical  address  of  the  Rev. 
Charles  Colcock  Jones,  D.  D.,  delivered  to  the  "  Liberty 
County  Independent  Troop,"  in  1856,  presents  an  interest- 
ing memorial  of  Mr.  Quarterman's  military  life.  Speaking 
of  the  war,  he  observed:  "At  the  same  time  the  infantry 
companies  of  the  county  were  ordered  to  Darien,  under  the 
command  of  Captain  Robert  Quarterman  and  Captain  John 
Winn.  The  two  companies  were  afterwards  united  under 
Captain  Quarterman.  On  Captain  Quarterman's  'payroll,' 
the  original  of  which  I  have  in  my  possession,  there  are  one 
hundred  and  thirty-three  names,  including  officers  and  pri- 
vates. 


REV.    H0I3SHT    QUARTEEMAN.  257 

"  My  first  recollections  of  Captain  Quarterman  were  during 
his  march  to  Darien.  The  troops  passed  along  the  public 
road.  A  couple  of  us  lads  were  placing  at  mimic  war,  firing 
our  brass  cannon  from  our  little  fort,  attacked  by  the  British 
fleet  afloat  on  the  pond.  We  heard  the  drums,  and  rushed 
to  see  the  show.  Capttiin  Qnurterman  was  at  the  head  of 
his  company,  a  tall  well  proportioned  and  handsome  officer, 
with  full  whiskers,  and  had  his  sword  drawn.  You  all  re- 
remember  and  venerate  him.  For  twenty-three  years  after- 
wards he  was  the  able,  consistent,  and  successful  pastor  of 
]\Iidway  Church.  He  h;is  had  few  or  no  superiors,  take  him 
all  in  all,  among  the  prominent  citizens  of  this  county." 

At  the  close  of  the  war  he  resigned  his  commission  and 
returned  to  his  farm,  and  soon  thereafter  commenced  a  course 
of  Theological  studies,  preparatory  to  entering  the  ministry. 
In  1819,  he  was  lic<^nsed  to  preach  the  Gospel  by  the  Pres- 
byteiy  of  Harmony,  which  at  thit  period  included  the  low 
country  of  South  Carolina,  and  the  seaboard  counties  of 
G-Orgia. 

On  the  removal  of  Mr.  Murphy  to  Alabama,  he  was  called 
to  the  pastoral  charge  of  Midway  congregation.  He  was 
orditined  to  the  full  Avork  of  the  ministry  on  the  27th  of  May, 
182o,  by  the  Presbytery  of  Georgia,  it  having  been  set  off 
from  Harmony  Presbytery  in  1821. 

This  relation  he  sustained  to  the  Church  of  his  fathers  for 
thirty  years,  faithfully  dischai'glng  all  the  duties  of  the  min- 
isterial charge  to  that  people  so  long  as  his  health  permitted. 
Some  twelve  or  fifteen  years  before  his  death,  as  his  field  of 
labor  had  become  extended,  and  as  the  summer  retreats  of 
the  people  rendered  it  expedient  that  he  should  have  help, 
the  confjregation  elected  the  Rev.  Isaac  Stockton  Keith  Ax- 
son,  D.  D.,  at  present  the  beloved  pastor  of  the  Independent 
Presbyterian  Church,  of  Savannah,  his  colleague;  and  no 
tvro  ministers  ever  occupied  the  same  field  with  more  har- 
17 


258  KECROLOGY. 


mony,  and  with  greater  acceptance  to  the  people,  until  Mr. 
Quarterman  was  laid  asideby  a  paralytic  attack. 

We  beg  leave  in  this  place,  to  introduce  a  letter  Avritten 
by  Dr.  Axson,  a  few  days  after  the  decease  of  Mr.  Quarter- 
man,  in  May,  1849,  and  furnishing  a  faithful  and  interesting 
portraiture  of  his  venerable  co-pastor. 

•'  My  Dear  Brother  : 

"  You  will  not  be  surprised  to  learn  that  our  friend 
and  fellow-hiborer  in  the  Gospel  is  no  more.  The  messenger 
came  at  last,  and  this  servant  of  God  has  entered  upon  his 
rest.  We  were  deprived  of  his  parting  counsels,  and  disap- 
pointed in  regard  to  a  dying  testimony,  it  having  pleased 
God,  for  many  weeks  previous  to  his  death,  severely  to  im- 
pair his  mental  faculties,  and  alniost  to  destroy  the  power  of 
speech.  When  the  last  conflict  came  he  was  almost  insensible 
to  everything  around  him. 

"From  the  note  book  of  the  attending  physician,  I  have 
gathered  this  description  of  his  case :  He  was  seized  sud- . 
denly  and  very  violently  on  the  night  of  the  14th  of  Febru- 
ary, 1845,  Avith  pulmonary  apoplexy,  from  which  he  recovered 
by  morning.  Subsequently  he  had  several  attacks  somewhat 
similar,  but  not  so  violent.  In  September,  1848,  his  articu- 
lation became  impaired,  and  in  December,  after  a  sort  of 
simple  apoplexy,  his  case  terminated  in  palsy,  and  the  loss 
of  nervous  power  in  one  side.  On  the  night  of  the  18th  of 
April,  he  gently  sunk  into  death,  and  is  now  buried  with  his 
fathers. 

"The  day  of  his  interment  was  O'ne  of  solemn  interest  to  his 
people,  who  gathered  from  all  parts  to  look  for  the  last  time 
on  his  gray  hairs ;  and  it  may  be  hoped,  that  around  the  aged 
pastor's  bier,  good  purposes  were  formed,  to  'call  to  remem- 
brance,' and,  by  the  grace  of  God,  to  heed  '  the  things  which 
he  spake  unto  them  while  he  was  yet  with  them.' 

"  The  most  interesting  recollections  of  the  man,  by  the 


REV.    ROBERT    QUARTERMAN.  259 

people  of  this  community,  will  unquestionably  be  those  asso- 
ciated with  his  character  as  a  Christian  and  a  servant  of 
Jesus.  For  forty  years  he  had  walked  with  God,  during  the 
whole  of  which  period  his  history  was  closely  connected  with 
that  Church  in  whose  grave-yard  he  is  now  sleeping.  He 
was  admitted  into  its  membership  in  the  year  1809.  Two 
years  after  he  was  elected  to  the  office  of  deacon ;  and  in  the 
year  1823,  having  privately  pursued  a  course  of  preparation 
for  the  ministry,  he  was  chosen  pastor  of  the  Church,  which 
relationship,  as  an  expression  of  their  respect  for  one  who 
had  long  watched  over  them  in  the  Lord,  his  people  resolved 
he  should  hold  till  death,  notwithstanding  that  disease  had, 
in  a  great  measure,  excluded  him  from  the  pulpit  for  the  last 
four  years. 

"  In  glancing  at  his  career,  I  am  reminded  that  our  broth- 
er's usefulness  was  not  limited  to  the  exercises  of  the  pulpit. 
Practically,  though  not  professionally  trained,  he  was  skilled 
in  medicine ;  and  in  the  part  of  the  country  where  he  for  the 
most  part  resided,  no  regular  physician  being  at  hand,  it  is 
impossible  to  say  how  much  the  suffering  and  the  sick  were 
indebted  to  the  pastor's  labors  in  this  line;  for  it  was  his 
common  practice,  where  ever  and  when  ever  called,  cheer- 
fully to  wait  upon  the  sick,  administer  to  their  wants  in  re- 
gard to  prescriptions,  and  medicines,  and  nursing,  and  diet, 
and  all  necessary  articles. 

"As  a  tribute  to  his  memory,  setting  forth  the  influence 
of  his  private  walk  and  conversation,  let  me  register  a  testi- 
mony which,  since  his  decease,  has  been  handed  me  under 
the  signature  of  many  of  his  parishioners :  '  His  grave  and 
even  deportment,'  say  they,  'his  unquestioned  Christian 
character,  his  spirit  of  kindness  and  sympathy  with  the  dis- 
tressed, caused  him  to  be  approached  with  the  utmost  confi- 
dence by  all.  He  was  very  generally  consulted  in  cases  of 
difficulty,  whether  religious,  civil,  or  domestic;  and  the  whole 
manner  of  his  life  was  such  as  to  give  him  an  influence  over 


260  NECROLOGY. 


the  community,  wliich  tliej  feel  even  more  than  his  pulpit 
preaching. 

"'Farewell  to  the  aged  pastor,  who  has  now  finished  his 
course,  having  fought  the  good  fight,  and  kept  the  faith ! 
May  we,  my  brother,  be  partake's  of  the  same  blessedness, 
when  we  shall  next  meet  him,  wearing  the  crown  of  right- 
eousness, awarded  by  the  Righteous  Judge  to  all  his  faithful 
servants.  Yours  in   the  Gospel, 

"I.  S.  K.  A.  " 

Although  Mr.  Quarterman  was  physically  unable,  for 
miny  years,  to  render  any  pa^torial  services,  yet  he  was  con- 
ti.'iu  d  the  senior  pastor  of  the  Ciiuich. 

Among  the  foreign  missionaries  who  have  been  sent  out  to 
foreign  lands  by  the  Presbyterian  Chur-h,  were  two  of  his 
children — a  son  and  a  daughter.  The  Church  itself  has  sent 
into  the  ministry  more  of  its  .sons  than  probably  any  Church 
in  the  South.  Amono;  those  whocurerei  the  ministry  durino; 
the  pasi orate  of  Mr.  Q.,  are  the  Bakeis,  Daniel,  John  W., 
and  Richaid  W.;  Dr.  and  Jolui  J-nes,  Ctssels  and  Dua- 
wody;  John  and  T.  Sumner  Winn;  John  Quarterman  and 
R.  Q.  May.  The  most  of  these  w<  re  broug  't  into  the  Church 
during  his  ministry,  so  that  he  did  not,  labor  in  vain,  nor 
spend  his  strength  for  nought.  Having  fought  a  good  fight 
and  finished  his  course,  he  entered  into  rtst,  amid  the  re- 
grets of  all  who  knew  him. 

It  was  during  his  ministry  the  system  of  means  for  the 
religious  instruction  of  the  colored  people,  which  became  so 
efficient, had  itsorigin,  andso  far  as  that  congregation  was  con- 
cerned, its  maturity — presenting  a  model  which  deserved 
to  be  generally  imitated,  but  which,  by  the  events  of  a  few 
past  years,  has  been  overthrown. 

He  died  the  18th  of  April,  1849,  in  the  62nd  year  of  his 
age,  and  the  30th  of  his  ministry.  His  remains  were  laid  in 
the  Midway  Cemetery,  to  await  the  glorious  morn  of  the 
resurrection. 


REV.    ROBERT    QUARTERMAX.  261 


At  a  regular  meeting  of  the  Session  of  Midway  Church, 
May  15,  1849,  the  following  resolutions  were  adopted,  ex- 
pressive of  the  feelings  of  that  body  in  reference  to  the  death 
of  their  aged  pastor,  to-wit : 

"  It  having  pleased  Almighty  God  to  remove  by  death  our 
rev^ered  and  honored  pastor,  the  Rev.  Robert  Quarterman, 
and  the  fact  having  been  announced  to  this  Session  by  our 
clerk. 

Resolved,  That  in  this  dispensation  we  recognize  the  hand 
of  God,  and  bow  in  humble  submission  to  his  sovereign  will. 

Resolved,  That  in  his  decease  we  regard  ourselves  as  hav- 
ing sustained  a  serious  bereavement — the  Cliurch,  in  the  loss 
of  a  pastor  and  spiritual  guide,  by  whose  ministrations  we 
have  been  instructed,  and  whose  example  has  ever  tended  to 
our  edification — and  the  community,  in  the  loss  of  a  friend 
whose  memory  is  endeared  by  numerous  acts  of  generous  phi- 
lanthropy and  private  kindness. 

Resolved^  That  while  recording  this  our  loss,  it  is  our  con- 
solation to  believe,  that  death  has  been  his  unspeakable  gain, 
and  that  we  are  herein  admonished  to  live  the  life  of  the 
righteous,  that  our  last  end  may  be  like  his. 

Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be  sent  to  the 
bereaved  family,  as  a  mark  of  our  sympathy  and  condolence, 
and  that  they  be  published  in  the  Southsrn  Presbgterian.^' 

Faithfulness  and  industry  in  the  Master's  work  character- 
ized him  as  a  minister.  His  sermons  were  of  the  most  prac- 
tical and  pointed  character.  The  spiritual  interests  of  his 
flock  ever  laid  near  his  heart;  and  his  ministerial  success  was 
very  great,  as  doubtless  scores  of  redeemed  souls  now  in 
Heaven,  and  many  still  on  earth,  are  able  to  testisfy,  who 
will  rise  up  in  the  last  day  and  call  him  blessed. 

He  was  married  four  times,  and  at  his  death  left  a  widow 
and  eleven  children.  Four  of  his  sons  have  become  minis- 
ters, and  two  of  his  daughters  minister's  wives.  One  of  his 
sons,  the  Rev.  John  W.  Quarterman,  was  for  twenty  years  a 


262  KECROLOGT. 


faithful  and  successful  missionarj  to  the  Chinese,  among 
vrhom  his  remains  are  now  deposited.  One  of  his  daughters, 
the  wife  of  the  Rev.  R.  Q.  Waj,  spent  sixteen  years  among 
the  same  people,  and  in  the  same  glorious  work. 

Such  is  a  brief  memorial  of  the  Rev.  Robert  Quarterman,. 
cf  Midway. 


REY.  JOSEPH   MELANCTIION   QUARTERMAN.  * 


Joseph  Melanctlion  Quarterman,  one  of  tlie  younger  sons 
of  the  Rev.  Robert  Quarterman,  was  born  in  Liberty  country, 
^yhere  so  many  have  been  trained  for  the  Gospel  ministry,  on 
the  ICth  day  of  April,  1828.  Like  the  other  members  of 
this  highly  favored  family,  he  was  a  child  of  pi-ayer,  and  was 
brought  up  in  the  hallowed  atmosphere  of  true  piety.  It 
gives  us  no  surprise,  then,  to  learn,  that  in  1842,  when  but 
14  years  of  age,  he  joined  the  Midway  Congregational 
Church,  of  which  his  father  was  at  that  time  the  senior 
pastor. 

In  January,  184G,  he  became  a  student  in  Oglethorpe 
L'niversity,  having  the  ministry  in  view,  and,  prosecuting  his 
studies  dil:G;entlv,  was  f^raduated  in  1817,  with  the  first  hon- 
ors  of  his  class.  Then  followed  three  years  study  in  the 
Theological  Seminar}'-  at  Columbia,  S.  C.  Upon  its  comple- 
tion, he  was  licensed  as  a  probationer  in  the  Gospel  ministry, 
by  the  Presbytery  of  Georgia,  1850. 

He  began  his  ministerial  labors  at  Mt.  Yernon,  Montgom- 
ery county,  over  which  charge  he  was,  upon  his  ordination, 
installed  pastor  in  1851.  Here  he  toiled,  in  labors  abund- 
ant and  self-denying,  for  five  years — ministering  among  a 
people  who  gave  him  but  a  scanty  support,  he  eked  out  his 
living  by  drawing  unmurmuringly  on  his  private  means,  but 
was  ultimately  obliged  to  seek  a  field  elsewhere. 

In  November,  1855,  he  removed  to  Palatka,  East  Florida, 
where,  with  unflagging  zeal  and  diligence,  he  applied  himself 
anew  to  the  arduous  duties  of  the  ministry.  Besides  laboring 
at  Palatka,  he  gave  one  Sabbath  in  each  month  to  the  Church 
at  Orange  Springs,  25  miles  distant.    It  was  in  the  perform- 

MSS.  from  Rev.  R.  Q.  Way. 

203 


2G4  NECROLOGY. 


ance  of  this  last  fatiguing  duty  that  the  disease  was  devcdoped 
which  terminated  so  unexpectedly  in  his  death.  It  seemed 
hut  an  ordinary  attack  of  intermittent  fever,  whicli  for  a 
week  or  two  created  no  al.irm.  But  suddenly  a  congei^ive 
chill  thrust  its  cold  fingers  upon  his  vitals.  Ho  sank  iu  de- 
lirious unconsfcicntiousness  beneath  the  destroyer,  and  the 
soul  emerged  from  the  cloud  on  tin  heavenward  side,  lie 
died  on  the  29th  of  March,  185S,  in  thirtieth  year  of  his  age, 
and  seventh  of  his  ministr3^ 

In  the  humble  and  noiseless  circle  in  wliich  he  moved,  he 
was  known  only  to  be  IovlmI  and  respeeted  by  all,  without 
qualification  or  exception.  From  deep  and  fixed  principles, 
rather  than  lively  an;l  spasmodic  impulse,  he  wa-;  f  lithful, 
c  )nsistant,  and  unwearied  in  the  performance  of  e\^(^ry  duty 
growing  out  of  the  various  relation ^  to  his  family,  to  the 
Church,  and  to  the  world  at  large.  As  a  minister  of  the 
Cross,  he  preached  'Icsus,  and  preached  Ilim  cirnestly  and 
faitJifalljj.  As  a,  pastor,  his  character  shone  forth  most  con- 
spicuously, for  his  hamility,  that  sweetest  grace,  had  a  wider 
field  for  its  activity. 

Ilf^  left  a  lovely  and  interesting  family  to  mourn  the  loss 
of  a  husband  and  father,  but  he  lefc  them  a  rich  inheiitance. 
His  memory  will  be  precious  to  them,  and  his  prayers  and 
his  labors  for  them,  and  for  the  Church,  have  already  come 
up  before  God. 

We  subjoin  an  extract  from  the  minutes  of  the  Synod  of 
Georgia  of  1858,  which  presents  a  fine  ilhistration  of  h's 
character,  and  was  written  by  a  young  brother,  probably  a 
Theological  classmate,  and  one  who  possessed  a  high  and  ju?t 
appreciation  of  his  character: 

"There  was  a  fine  symmetry  in  the  charicter  of  our  de- 
parted brother,  which,  while  it  is  a  positive  excellence,  makes 
it  diflicult  to  give  desired  relief  to  his  portrait.  There  were 
about  him  few  or  no  salient  points  to  engage  attention;  thi'^, 
with  his  modest  and  retiring  nature,  prevented  the  full  ap- 


REV.  JOSEPH    MELANCTIION    QUARTERMAX.  2Gc> 

preciation  of  any  except  his  nearest  and  most  intimate  friends. 
Some  members  of  this  body  may  recollect  the  occasional  ap- 
pearance in  the  Synod,  a  few  y^ars  since,  of  a  pale,  slender 
young  minister,  who,  from  his  unconspicuous  seat,  watched 
with  interest  the  proceedings  of  the  body;  but,  with  modest 
deference,  took  na  active  part  in  them,  except  to  give  his 
votes.  This  was  a  man  who,  in  his  field  at  home,  labored 
indefatigably  to  promote  the  cause  of  Christ,  "  working  while 
it  was  day,"  as  if  with  a  near  presentiment  that  his  "night 
must  soon  come."  And  he  not  only  bestowed  his  unwearied 
labors,  but  he  spared  not  his  little  earthly  possessions.  Said 
a  worthy  member  of  his  last  charge,  'Brother  Quarterman 
has  given  more  to  the  Church  than  any  of  us.'  Thus  he 
showed  himself  cheerfully  willing  to  '  spend  and  be  spent' 
for  his  gracious  Master.  It  only  remained  that  he  should 
be  called  to  endure  the  minister's,  the  husband's,  and  fath- 
er's last  trial  and  struggle;  but  when  the  summons  came,  the 
O'lriitiia,  by  Divine  grac^,  proved  triumphant  over  all.  He 
j)yfu!ly  realized,  that  to  'depart  and  be  with  Christ  was  far 
better.'  " 


REV.  LUCIUS  A.  SIMONTON. 


Lucious  A.  SiMOXTOX,  son  of  Ezekiel  and  Sophia  Simon- 
ton,  was  born  in  Newton  county,  Georgia,  in  1830.  His 
father  was  for  many  years  a  ruling  Elder  in  the  Church  of 
Hopewell,  Crawford  county,  and  was  greatly  respected  for 
his  devoted  piety,  and  the  integrity  of  his  character.  He 
had  several  children,  only  three  of  whom  survived  him.  He 
died  in  Talbot  county,  Ga.,  in  1855,  The  mother  of  Lu- 
cious died  in  his  early  childhood,  but  her  place  was  most 
faithfully  supplied  by  an  excellent  step-mother  to  whom  he 
was,  till  the  close  of  life,  most  tenderly  attached. 

He  was  trained  up  in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of 
the  Lord.  During  the  period  of  boyhood  and  youth,  he 
was  remarkably  exempt  from  the  follies  and  vices  peculiar  to 
th;it  season.  We  know  not  that  he  manifested  during  that 
period  of  life  any  special  concern  about  his  spiritual  welfare. 
After  having  received  a  good  academical  education,  he  was 
for  a  time,  clerk  in  a  mercantile  establishment.  Whether 
this  was  by  his  own  choice,  or  in  obedience  to  parental  wish- 
es, we  know  not.  He,  however,  found  this  vocation  very  un- 
congenial to  his  tastes,  so  he  abandoned  it,  and  after  neces- 
sary preparation  he  entered  Oglethorpe  University  in  1851, 
whore  he  was  graduated  with  honorable  distinction  in  185-3. 
While  a  member  of  that  Institution,  it  was  visited  by  one  of 
those  gracious  revivals,  with  which  God  has  so  signally  favored 
it.  Lucious  became  a  subject  of  it,  and  to  use  his  own  words, 
'•  it  was  there  I  learned  to  love  Christ."  Very  soon  after 
his  conversion,  his  thoughts  were  directed  to  the  gospel  min- 
istry. Being  fully  satified  in  his  own  mind,  that  God  had 
called  him  to  the  work,  he  entered  the  Theological  Seminary 
at  Columbia,  S.  C,  immediately  after  his  graduation. 

MSS.  from  Rev.  S.  H.  Hay. 

2GG 


REV.  LUCIUS   A.    SIMONTON.  267 

He  completed  his  Theological  course  in  the  Spring  of  1855, 
and  was  licensed  to  preach  the  gospel  by  HopeAvell  Presby- 
tery. During  the  following  summer  he  preached  in  several 
places  with  great  acceptance.  He  was  invited  to  supply  the 
Churches  of  Sparta  and  Mt.  Zion,  in  Hamcock  county,  but 
being. necessarily  engaged  in  settling  his  fathers  business, 
they  were  willing  that  his  labors  should  not  commence  until 
January  1856.  In  the  meantime  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Annie  C.  Peck,  of  Columbia,  S.  C. 

He  entered  upon  his  ministerial  workrunder  a  deep  sense 
of  his  responsibility.  He  continued  to  be  a  diligent  student, 
while  he  labored  in  season  and  out  of  season.  He  was  very 
much  beloved  by  both  congregations;  and  there  are  many  of 
them  who  will  give  their  testimony  to  his  faithfulness  and 
untiring  z-^al  in  his  Master's  service.  The  Church  of  Sparta 
gave  him  a  unanimous  call  to  become  their  pastor.  This  he 
accepted  and  was  accordingly  ordained  in  June  following  and 
installed  pastor  of  that  Church.  He  continued  to  preach  at 
Mt.  Zion  as  before.  In  both  Churches  God  gave  him  souls 
for  his  hire. 

In  the  fall  of  1858,  he  received'  an  invitation  from  the 
Church  in  xA.lbany,  Ga.,  to  preach  for  them  a  Sabbath  or  two. 
He  complied  with  the  request,  and  the  result  was  a  call  to 
become  their  pastor.  Although  the  sundering  of  the  ties 
binding  him  to  the  beloved  people  of  Sparta,  and  Mt.  Zion, 
wa?  exceedingly  painful,  yet  after  much  prayerful  delibera- 
tion, he  felt  it  his  duty  to  accept  the  call.  His  people 
aware  thit  his  field  of  usefulness  would  be  much  enlarcred, 
by  the  change,  made  no  opposition.  Early  in  December  the 
Presbytery  dissolved  the  pastorial  relation  between  him  and 
the  Church  at  Sparta.  The  Lord,  hoWever,  had  ordered  dif- 
ferently. His  purpose  Avas,  that  his  ministerial  labors  should 
cease  where  they  had  begun.  In  making  preparations  for  his 
removal,  he  contracted  a  severe  cold.  He  preached  his  farewell 
sermon  the  second  Sabbath  in  December.     He  was  then  very 


268 


NECROLOGY. 


unwell.  It  iproved  to  he  his  last  sermon.  He  became  very 
feeble,  and  it  was  evident  to  all  that  he  was  in  a  rapid  decline. 
He  had  repeated  and  severe  hemorages  from  the  lungs*  also  a 
harrassing  cough,  which,  with  excessive  debility  prevented 
him  from  conversation  with  his  friends.  Leaving  a  depend- 
ent family  to  whom  he  was  so  tenderly  attached,  at  first, 
seemed  to  depress  his  spirits,  but  God  gave  him  faith  to  com- 
mit them  into  his  hands.  He  was  calm  and  resigned  to  the 
will  of  his  Heavenly  Father.  On  the  morning  of  the  -Slst  of 
March  1857,  he  gently  fell  a.'^leepin  Jesus.  By  his  request 
he  was  hurried  in  Elmwood  Cemetery  near  Columbia,  S.  C. 
He  left  a  son  and  two  infant  daughters,  the  elder  of  whom 
has  since  been  re-united  to  him  in  Heaven. 

During  the  three  months  illness  of  this  young  servant  of 
God,  he  was  attended  to  with  the  most  unremitting  kindness, 
not  only  by  those  for  whom  he  had  labored,  but  by  all  around. 
Nothing  was  left  undone  that  coubl  contribute  to  the  comfort 
of  himself  and  family.  Too  much  cannot  be  said  of  their 
kindness  and  liberality.  The  recollection  of  it  is  gratefully 
cherished  by  those  who  loved  him. 


REV.  JOSEPH  B.  STEVENS. 


Joseph  B.  Stevens,  was  the  son  of  Joshua  and  Chloe 
Stevens,  and  was  born  at  Brookfield,  Connecticut,  August 
3d,  1801.  His  parents  were  poor  but  respectable  and  pious. 
They  gave  him  but  a  linaited  education,  which  hehimself  made 
no  effort  to  improve  until  after  his  21st  year.  It  was  at  this 
time  he  was  hopefully  brought  to  an  experimental  knowl- 
edge of  the  Saviour,  and  feeling  it  his  duty  to  preach  the 
Gospel,  he  determined  to  obtain  a  Collegiate  education.  He 
united  with  a  church  in  New  Haven,  and  entered  Bowdoia 
College  in  the  State  of  Maine, where  he  graduated  September 
6th,  1827,  being  about  twenty-six  years  of  age.  He  studied 
Theology  in  the  Seminary  at  Bangor  three  years,  and  was 
licensed  by  a  Congregational  Association  in  Maine  to  preach 
the  Gospel,  being  then  some  twenty-nine  years  old. 

His  first  labors  in  the  ministry  were  at  the  barracks  near 
Bangor.  How  long  he  continued  in  this  station,  we  know 
not.  He  was  afterwards  settled  over  a  Church  at  Falmouth, 
in  Maine.  In  Falmouth  he  married  Miss  Lydia  Crabtree, 
daughter  of  William  and  Hannah  Crabtree,  June  18th, 
1835. 

A  few  years  subsequently  he  determined  to  leave  New 
England.  In  1840,  he  immigrated  to  Georgia,  and  settled  in 
the  town  of  Brunswick,  on  the  Atlantic  coast.  Here  he 
preached  and  taught  for  some  time.  He  afterwards  removed 
to  the  town  of  Darien.  Thence  he  removed  to  the  city  of  Ma- 
con in  1815,  and  in  the  following  year  to  Savannah,  where 
he  was  employed  in  preaching  in  the  Seaman's  Chapel,  and 
Broughton  Street  (now  the  first  Presbyterian  Church)  for  a 
year  or  two.  In  January  1847,  he  removed  to  Butts  coun- 
ty, Ga.     He  then  became  the  stated  supply  of  the   Churches 

2Gt) 


270  NECROLOGY. 


of  Fellowship,  Bethany,  Smyrna,  and  McDonough.  He  was 
for  a  year  or  two,  the  regular  installed  pastor  of  the  Betha- 
ny and  Smyrna  Churches,  during  which  time  he  resided  in 
Newton  county.      He  also  lived  one  year  in  Griffin. 

In  the  winter  of  l<s56,  he  removed  to  Whitney,  Calhoun 
county,  Ga.,  and  engaged  in  teaching  and  preaching.  He 
supplied  the  Church  of  Poehitla  in  that  county,  as  also  a 
branch  of  the  same,  composed  principally  of  colored  people, 
on  Spring  Creek  in  Early  county.  This  was  his  last  field 
of  labor.  His  health  failed,  and  after  a  long  and  painful  ill- 
ness of  organic  disease  of  the  heart,  in  which  the  lungs  sym- 
pathized, developed  in  the  form  of  asthma,  from  which  he 
suffered  excessively,  he  died  in  Whitney,  May  9th,  1860,  in 
the  59th  year  of  his  age,  and  about  the  30th  of  his   ministi'y. 

He  left  a  widow  and  six  children — four  sons,  and  two 
daughters. 

Of  Mr.  Stevens,  we  can  truly  say,  he  was  a  good  man. 
At  the  meeting  of  the  Synod  of  Georgia,  in  Columbus  in  the 
fall  of  the  year  in  which  he  died,  the  following  record  was 
made  :  (and  we  feel  that  we  cannot  present  a  better  estimate 
of  his  character,  than  by  giving  an  extract  from  that  minute.) 

"  Mr.  Stevens  was,  emphatically  a  man  of  God.  As  a 
Christian,  he  was  humble,  consistent,  devoted.  As  a  iPreach- 
cr,  he  was  earnest,  solemn,  and  instructive.  As  a  Pastor,  he 
was  faithful  and  laborious,  giving  heed  to  the  flock  over 
which  the  Holy  Ghost  had  made  him  the  Overseer.  He  min- 
istered for  the  most  part  to  feeble  Churches.  His  labors 
were  arduous  and  self-denying,  and  received  but  a  poor  pecu- 
niary compensation;  but  we  doubt  not  his  reward  in  Heaven 
was  great,  for  he  was  eminently  useful.  The  colored  people 
and  the  poor  of  his  congregations  received  special  attention, 
and  among  these  he  had  many  seals  of  his  ministry.  At  one 
time  he  reported  the  addition  of  some  thirty-five  or  forty  col- 
ored persons  to  the  communion  of  the  Church. 

Thus,  in  noiseless,  unostentatious  labors  for  the  salvation 


/  KEY.    JOSEPH    B.    STEYEXS.  271 

of  God's  elect,  he  fulfilled  liis  ministry,  and  has  gone  to  his 
account,  to  receive,  as  we  believe  the  benediction  of  the  Mas- 
ter :  "  Well  done  thou  good  and  faithfal  servant ;  enter  thou 
into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord  :  thou  hast  been  faithful  over  a  few 
things,  I  will  make  the  ruler  over  many  things  ." 

In  the  death  of  Mr.  Stevens,  we  have  lost  a  beloved  broth- 
er in  Christ,  and  an  efficient  co-laborer  in  the  vineyard  of 
the  Lord.  Whilst  we  bow  in  submission  to  the  will  of  God, 
who  doeth  all  things  well,  Ave  sincerely  lament  his  decease. 
With  his  bereaved  wife  and  children,  we  affectionately  sympa- 
thize, and  in  prayer,  commend  them  to  the  widoAv's  God,  Siwd 
the  God  of  the  fatherless."' 


REV.  JOHX  WILSOX  REID. 


For  tlie  following  sketch  of  the  life  and  labors  of  Rev. 
Mr.  Reid  we  are  indebted  to  the  pen  of  the  late  Rev,  R.  A. 
Houston,  who  was  for  years  his  intimate  friend  and  fellow-la- 
borer. 

The  death  of  this  beloved  and  venerated  servant  of  God, 
at  about  the  age  of  sixty-three,  has  awakened  general  and 
tender  grief.  An  unusuul  sense  of  bereavement  is  felt  by  a 
large  circle,  not  only  on  account  of  his  endearing  and  admi- 
rable personal  qualities  and  relations,  but  also  for  the  void 
created  in  a  wide  sphere,  for  which  he  was  singularly  gifted 
and  trained,  and  which  he  filled  with  rare  credit  to  him- 
self and  usefulness  to  the  Church  and  country.  His  life  and 
character  afford  the  key  to  the  fe?ling  of  desolation  which 
has  ewept  over  so  many  hearts,  and  amply  justify  the  high 
regard  in  which  he  was  held.  Both  are  replete  with  instruc- 
tion and  encouragement  to  all  who  like  him,  aim  at  the  high- 
est and  holiest  ends  by  the  earnest  and  indefatigable  employ- 
ment of  the  best  means  for  their  attainment.  In  the  beauty 
and  strength  of  hie  character,  Jiis  spotless  example,  and  la- 
borious, fruitful  career,  his  survivors  possess  a  legacy  of 
great  preciousness.  Under  a  constant  and  profound  impres- 
sion of  the  solemnities  and  responsibilities  of  life,  he  was  ever 
actively  engaged  in  useful  and  noble  purposes,  and  therefore 
achieved  great  results.  The  strength  of  his  early  and  ar- 
dent aspirations  for  usefulness  was  severely  tested  by  what 
"we  are  accustomed  to  call  adverse  circumstances  by  which  he 
•was  encompassed  in  youth.  But  there  was  too  much  native 
vigor  in  his  mind  to  be  diverted,  or  arrested  by  obstacles;  and 
in  his  resolute  encounter  with  them,  he  acquired  additional 
strength  and  elasticity.     This  sort  of  discipline,  as  he  testi- 


REV.    JOHN    WILSON   KEID. 


fiod  to  the  writer,  led  him  to  exercise  and  cherish  the  most 
ardent  attuchment  to  Christ  and  his  cause.  He.  therefore, 
turned  not  a-iide  fi-oai  what  he  regarded  as  the  path  of  duty 
in  view  of  anj  obstractions  or  dangers.  His  sanctified  Avill 
WIS  inflexible  uuler  any  pressure  save  the  divine  pleas- 
ure, when  it  was  efjually  remarkable  for  pliancy  and  submis- 
sion. Cautious  to  avoid  error,  he  made  wide  and  cartful 
searches  after  truth,  and  hence  was  generally  slow  in  reach- 
ing conclusions  ;  but  when  reached,  they  were  held  with  un- 
wavering though  modest  tenacity.  His  judgment  was  clciir  and 
accurate.  Few  men  exhibit  so  much  prudence  and  discretion 
as  marked  prominently  his  whole  life.  Patient  and  quiet  as- 
siduity characterized  all  h-is  studies,  and  indeed,  all  his  pur- 
suits. His  memory  was  excellent.  His  iniimate  friends  of- 
ten spoke  of  his  inces-aiut  and  unwearied  mental  activity. 

His  Christian  character  was  a  model  and  the  admiration  and 
delight  of  the  godlj,  while  it  constrained  the  iiighest  respect 
of  all.  At  an  early  a^e  hi  consecrated  himself  to  the  service 
of  Goil,  and  henceforth  it  was  "his  meat  and  his  drink  to  do 
his  Father's  will."  His  whule  soul  seemed  to  be  penetrated, 
imSued,  and  thorougidy  seasoned  with  the  spirit  of  religion. 
These  were  a  completness  and  harmony  and  unity,  and  yet 
a  wonderful  variety  in  his  spii  itual  gifts,  which  never  failed 
to  attract  the  love  and  awaken  the  admiration  of  the  di^ccrn- 
ing.  Free  from  affectation  and  cant,  sourness  and  gloom, 
his  piety  by  its  depth  and  weight,  its  purity  and  simplicity, 
its  warm.th  and  constancy,  its  uniformity,  povtcr  and  growth, 
comraendeil  itself  as  the  pro<luct  of  truth  and  grace  of  God. 
The  grace  of  humility  covered  him  all  over  like  an  insepera- 
>>le  robe.  Gentle,  loving  and  cheerful,  his  presence  would 
disperse  the  clouds  of  care  and  despondency,  and  his  well- 
chosen  words  of  sympathy  and  encouragement  would  hight- 
en  and  strengthen  as  by  a  magic  wand.  His  meekness, 
though  often  provoked  to  the  utmost,  was  so  divine  in  its 
'^juality  and  temper,  as  to  withstand  the  sorest  pressure.  He 
18 


274  NECROLOGY. 


was  not  hurried  into  speaking  unadvisedly  with  his  lips.  In 
this  respect,  few  inde«d,  were  his  peers.  He  had  acquired 
i»uch  sclf-possesi-ion  and  control,  such  serene  and  firm  re- 
liance on  God,  that  in  the  various  trials  of  his  life  he  kept  his 
"  soul  in  patience,  "  and  acted  with  rare  judgment  and  jus- 
tice, unbiased  by  unhallowed  passionsor  prejudice.  True,  his 
jealousy  for  the  Lord  God  of  hosts,  and  his  zeal  fpr  truth  and 
'righteousness,  were  so  ardent  and  active  as  to  enkindle  his 
lioly  indignation  against  sin,  especially  in  its  more  rcfiu  sive 
and  arrogant  forms  ;  yet  they  were  commingled  with  so  ten- 
der and  affectionate  an  interest  foi*  the  sinner,  as  to  disarm 
malice,  to  overcome  and  restrain,  and  often  to  melt  and  sub- 
due the  offender.  His  faith  would  not  be  shaken  by  any  ad- 
verse appearances  or  circumstances.  In  affliction  and  be- 
reavement and  distress,  as  well  as  in  ji.y  and  prosperity,  he 
•minifested  submission  and  conformity  to  the  divine  will. 
Therefore,  his  piety  pervaded  his  whole  mind  and  heart,  and 
was  ever  exhibited  in  his  C)nversation  and  life.  It  wis  not 
put  on  for  great  occasions,  or  for  the  discharge  of  official  du- 
'ties.  It  always  appeared  with,  and  as  a  {)an  of  the  man.  His 
light  shincd.  His  holiness  was  seen  and  felt  at  all  times. 
It  beamed  out  in  a  steady  radiance  from  an  unclouded  sun.  A 
fountain  of  living  water  in  his  soul  sent  forth  constant 
streams  in  every  direction  to  fertilize  and  gladden  the  earth. 
Endowed  thus  with  the  whole  circle  of  virtues  and  graces, 
appropriately  grouped,  healthful,  vigorous,  flourishing  ;  in- 
tensely conscientious,  heartily  benevolent,  and  of  tireless  ac- 
tivity, he  presented  a  corresponding  life  in  all  duties  and  re- 
lations, as  son,  husband,  father,  friend,  citizen,  and  mas- 
ter. Ho  thoughtfully  and  in  God's  fear,  sought  to  understand 
his  responsibilities  and  perform  them  with  pains-taking  and 
fidelity.  How  well  he  succeeded,  the  love,  gratitude,  and 
grief  so  bountifully  bestowed  upon  his  memory,  bear  im- 
pressive testimony.  But  while  his  private  life  displays  all  we 
could  expect,  much  more  than  we  generally  see,  and  most  of 


REV,    JOHN   WILSON   REID.  275 


what  we  would  desire  in  mortal  man,  it  is  in  his  public  career 
where  he  whs  most  conspicuous  and  wrought  most  largely  for 
the  Church  and  the  country. 

For  about  thirty  years  he  laboriously  followed  the  occu- 
pation of  teaching  in  connection  with  the  exercises  of  his  min- 
istry. Having  completed  his  preparation  in  North  Corolina, 
his  native  State,  he  came  to  Georgia  at  a  mature  age  to  be- 
gin life  in  a  new  sphere  ;  and  having  spent  several  years — - 
ten  or  twelve — in  the  instruction  of  youth  in  the  counties  of 
Columbia  and  Lincoln,  with  decided  acceptance  and  success, 
he  removed  to  Woodstock.  Oglethorpe  Co.,  where  he  resided 
until  his  death.  This  villag'e,  delightfully  embowered  in  a 
fine  grove  of  oaks,  in  a  sequestered  spot,  free  from  all  the 
common  sources  of  temptation  to  the  young,  was  built  up  by 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  and  two  or  three  other  gpntlemen' 
of  wealth  and  intelligence,  for  the  sake  of  social,  educational, 
and  religious  privileges.  It  has  been  devoted  to  these  high 
purposes,  and  having  become  classic  ground  to  hundreds,  will 
he  long  remembered  for  its  sacred  associations,  and  extensive 
salutary  influence.  For  a  few  years,  Mr.  Reid  taught  the 
numerous  scholars  placed  under  his  care  in  all  the  branches 
and  to  the  extent  ordinary  in  a  high  school.  But  the  capaci- 
ty, skill  and  success  of  the  teacher  in  ti'aining  youno-  men, 
rapidily  increased  his  reputation;  and  many  others  from  every 
direction  and  from  distant  points,  even  beyond  the  bounds  of 
the  State,  came  hither  to  enjoy  the  rare  intellectual  and  mor- 
al advantages  of  the  school.  It  was  thought,  therefore,  that 
a  more  regular  organization  would  secure  greater  efficiency, 
and  meet  the  wants  of  that  numeroug  circle  who  desired  to 
prepare  for  the  various  occupations  of  active  life,  and  from 
different  causes  were  unable-  to  meet  the  requirements  of  a 
College.  The  studies  of  quite  a  full  literary,  classical,  and 
scientific  course  were,  therefore,  arranged  into  four  divisions, 
adapted  to  youth  in  all  the  different  grades  of  advancement, 
and  ade<juate  to  insure  thorough  and  efficient  scholarship. 


-T6'  NECEOLOGY. 


The  school  henceforth  took  the  name  of 'Philomathean  Col- 
legiate Institute."  lie  was  most  efficiently  assisted  during 
two  or  three  years,  first  by  his  eldest  son,  and  afterwards  by 
his  youngest — the  former  a  graduate  of  Princeton,  and  the  lat- 
ter of  Oglethorpe  University.  The  orga.mzation  accomplished 
all  that  its  friends  expected.  The  change  was  made  at  the  sug- 
gestion and  by  the  aid  of  the  Hon.  A.  H.  Stephens,  a  finished 
scholar  himself,  and  long  a  patron  of  the  school.  For  among 
the  numerous  patr  otic  and  benevolent  efforts  of  this  gen- 
tleraan  in  behalf  of  his  countrymen,  none  shine  brighter  than 
his  education  ofworthy  young  men  without  adoqu;ite  means  to 
accomplish  it  themselves.  He  frequently  had  several  at  the 
sametirae  under  Mr.  Rfid's  instructions;  and  their  diligence 
and  att&inments,  generally,  vindicated  the  wisdom  of  their  se- 
lection as  well  as  the  choice  of  their  teacher.  On  account  of 
his  interest  in  these  young  men  of  the  school,  and  of  geneia) 
education,  Mr.  Stephens  himself  sometimes  came  to  '^'^  ood- 
stock ,  especially  at  the  annual  examination*,  or  Oommmce- 
ments,  as  they  came  to  be  popularly  called,  on  account  of 
the  intelligence  and  refinement  of  the  audience,  the  more  thm 
ordinary  exhibition  of  thorough  and  critical  scholarsldp 
evinced  by  the  pupils,  and  the  literary  address  given  by  some 
gentlemen  of  ability  and  distinction.  While  his  presen'O 
was  always  desired  and  appreciated,  yet  it  was  not  with  ut 
considerable  trepidation  that  the  young  men  fo-und  themselves 
for  review  in  the  hands  of  such  a  master.  They  generally 
consoled  themselves,  however,  witli  the  reflection  that  if  th^y 
could  endure  the  searching  test  of  their  teacher,  they  had  lit- 
tle to  fear  from  their  distinguished  visitor.  It  is  proper  to 
mention  in  this  eonnection  that  Mr.  Reid  also  was  in  the  hab- 
it of  boarding aind  teaching-young  men  of  promise,  but  with- 
out moans,  on  condition  of  payment  if  they  ever  became  able. 
It  is  supposed  that  perhaps  a  hundred  were  thus  enabled  to 
obtain  an  education.  And  it  is  worthy  of  record  that  the  uni- 
Tersalltv  with  which  these  engagrments  have  been  discharged, 


REV.    JOHN   WILSON    REID.  277 

reflects  honor  upon  the  discernment  of  the  teacher  and  the 
nobleness  of   the  pupils. 

Mr.  Reid  stood  abreast  of  the  first  rank  of  teachers  in  the 
Stite,  and  wrought  an  untold  amount  of  good  in  the  preparar 
tion  of  large  numbers  for  advanced  positions  in  the  different 
•Colleges  of  the  country;  in  fitting  many  others  for  the  active 
and  useful  employments  of  life;  in  elevating  the  standard  of 
education  ;  and  in  creating  and  cherishing  a  deep  and  prac- 
tical interest  in  the  public  mind  in  favor  of  a  more  general 
and  thoroujih  cultivation  of  the  minds  and  hearts  of  the 
young.  His  attachment  for  youth,  and  his  desire  for  their 
preparation  for  usefulness,  burned  with  wonderful  energy, 
and  led  him  to  stend  and  be  spent  in  the  attainment  of  these 
lofty  ends.  Week  after  week  for  a  long  series  of  years,  he 
toiled  in  this,  to  him,  delightful  but  laborious  work,  with  un- 
flagging diligence  and  zeal,  never  relaxing  his  labor,  though 
often  afflicted  with  bodily  infirmities,  which  would  have  arrest- 
ed most  men  in  their  pursuits.  During  nearly  the  whole  of 
each  day,  he  addressed  all  his  energies  and  employed  m11  his 
attainments  in  giving  patient,  t(  ilsome  instruction.  He  more- 
over did  not  simply  stuff  the  mind  with  knowledge.  He  de> 
%'eloped  and  strengthened  it,  and  led  it  out  into  investigation 
for  the  discovery  of  truth.  He  jilways  gave  and  dem:indefl 
reasons.  Every  proper  argument  and  motive  were  used  to 
awaken  interest  and  stimulate  application.  Good  in  ^'ll  de- 
partments, he  was  superior  in  mathematics  and  the  Latin 
tongue.  He  loved  teaching  with  an  ardor  that  was  not  quench- 
ed even  on  his  dying  bed. 

In  the  discipline  of  his  school,  he  was  patient  and  forbear- 
ing almost  to  a  fault,  but  firm,  decided,  and  invincible,  when 
•necessity  forbade  further  indulgence.  So  wise  and  judifious^ 
130  just,  kind,  and  considerate  was  he  in  his  intercourse  and 
dealings  with  those  undci-  his  charge,  as  generally  to  an  in 
the  most  devoted  and  grateful  attachment,  and  always  their 
liighest regard  and  veneration.     His  sympathy,  supervision, 


£78  NECROLOGY. 


aiul  efforts  were  abund mtly  ex  ended  to  their  moral  and  spir- 
itual interest.  He  ceased  not  in  school  and  out,  at  every  suit- 
able opportunity,  by  prayer,  by  careful  instruction,  admoni- 
tion and  advice  ;  by  manifest  tearful  solicitude  ;  by  reproof 
and  entreaty  ;  by  argument  and  illustr.ition,  to  lend  'hem  to 
ealvaiion  through  thn  mercy  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus.  Timely 
remarks  here  and  there,  werf  ofren  ;irrows  of  conviction, 
while  his  special  app'^als  were  of  en  liear' -thrilling  and  f)Ow  r- 
fully  effective.  Lar^^e  numbeisof  his  pipijs  bee  nm-  hopeful- 
ly pious;  and  quite  a  consider  abh'  piOjiortiMM  h.ive  entered 
the  ministry,  and  are  in  turn  extrtin^an  mfliicnee  for  the  su- 
premacy of  that  relig  on  he  l-ivrd  sd  well,  and  taug.it  ^o 
faithfully   and  illustiated  so  beiutifully. 

Having  studied  Theology  undt-r  the  siipervi  ion  of  tb  Ri-v, 
Dr.  Tahnage.  Mr.  Reid  wms  licensed  to  prcjch  the  go.-p<  i, 
September,  1833,  by  Ho()ewell  Pi'esbyt'  r\,  a'  its  sessions  in 
Deca'ur,  Ga.  His  ministry  in  connection  with  his  .sebnol 
made  his  a  life  of  most  intense  and  exhau-ting  l.ibor.  He 
possessed,  in  a  most  eminent  degree,  the  scriptural  character- 
istics of  a  minister  of  Christ,  an'l  made  full  prcf  ther^  of, 
of  a  meek  and  lowly  mind,  r' lying  wit,h  all  his  might  upon 
the  strength  and  gr;ice  of  God,  and  absoibed  in  his  mission, 
he  ccMsed  not,  day  and  night,  with  many  tears,  -wher^  vt-r  tlie 
door  was  op  n,  to  preach  the  truth  to  perishing  si'nners,  and 
to  build  up  :he  Chur-h  in  knowled^re  an  1  true  holiness.  He 
possessd  much  of  the  missionary  spirit,  and  sometimes  made 
long  journeys  to  feed  the  starving,  and  gather  in  the  sca.ttered 
sheep.  He  long  sufjplied  several  small  Churches  with  the 
bread  of  life,  riding  often  on hor>eback,  fiom  ten  to  forty  miles 
to  do  so,  and  returning  in  t  me  to  meet  his  school  on  Monday 
morning.  No  sort  "f  weather  would  prevent  him  fnun  meet- 
ing his  appointments,  and  the  smallness  of  the  congregation 
would  never  deter  him  from  preiching.  His  "often  infirmi- 
ties," and  frequently  his  serious  illness,  were  no  obstacle  in 
Lis  way.     ''The  path  of  duty  i,  the  path  of  safety,"  was  hi* 


REV.    JOHN    WILSON    REID;  279 


motto  ;  and  the  solicitations  of  anxious  friends,  moved  him 
not  a  hair'sbreadth  from  his  purpose.  With  what  emphasis 
he  has  often  been  heard  to  read,  "  My  heart  is  fixed,  oh  God  \ 
my  heart  is  fixed,"  as  if  the  sentiment  welled  up  from  the 
profoundf^st  depths  of  his  soul. 

He  believed  with  a  deep  and  unutterable  conviction  that 
the  gospel  scheme  of  salvation  was  the  only  efficacious  means 
to  arrest  and  eradicate  the  disorder,  collisions,  and  vices  of 
human  society,  to  redothe  the  soul  with  holiness,  and  b-irig 
it  to  glory,  honor  and  immortality.  Hence  he  co'ild  nottul- 
crate  any  thing  however  plausable  or  pretending  that. 
claimed  its  [)laee  or  efficacy;  or  lead  the  people  astray  from 
the  f  juntain  of  life,  to  "  broken  cisterns  which  eau  hoM  no 
water."  He  believed  and  taught ;  and  acted  on  the  faitli 
too,  that  God's  plan  needed  no  suppliments  or  aids  to  accom- 
plish the  work,  being  "  ordered  in  all  things  and  sure  ."  Hav- 
ing the  "truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus,"  thus  solidly  and  under- 
standingly  inwrougt  in  his  minii,  and  warming  his  alfections^ 
and  possessing  an  intense  yearning  for  the  salvation 
of  men,  he  naturally  preached  with  great  unction  and 
fervor,  with  great  simplicity  and  tenderness,  pointedly, 
and  with  fidelity.  His  sermons  were  not  elaborated  with 
great  learning.  Not  with  "enticing  words  of  man's  wis- 
dom," did  he  endeavor  to  compass  his  ends,  "  but  in  demon- 
stration of  the  spirit  and  of  (»ower."  His  preaching  Avas 
full  of  gospel  truth,  and  thoroughly  imbued  with  the  spirit  of 
piety.  His  hearers  always  caught  something  of  the  holy  fire 
that  ever  burneil  on  the  altar  of  his  heart.  And  those  to 
whom  he  regufirly  ministered  were  always  in  an  unusually 
lively  condition.  Often  where  he  preached  has  the  Divine 
presence  been  so  manifest  as  to  be  feh,  acknowledged,  and 
aim  St  seen.  He  was  accustomed  to  prepare  himself  with 
much  prayer  and  careful  study  for  his  pulpit  exer- 
cises. Though  never  writing  out  fully  his  sermon,  almost 
invariably  he  had  a  "  brief,"  containing    the   divisions    and 


280  NECROLOGY. 


lending  thought  of  his  discour.-se,  tdgetiier  with  pas- 
sages of  Scripture,  or  reference  to  such  passages,  all 
accurately  and  logically  arranged.  In  his  younger  days, 
when  in  health,  he  spoke  with  great  animati m  and  vigor, 
bur  asagecrcpt  on,  and  disease,  and  long,  hard  labor,  inipMir- 
ed  the. stability  of  his  cliy  tabernacle,  bespoke  with  le-s  ac- 
t-ion, but  with  eqa:il  unction. 

When  this  godly  man  lifted  up  his  voice  in  prayer  eve- 
ty  one  felt  that  herea}iz:d  the  presence  of  God.  and  com- 
Miuned  with  him  in  spirit  and  truth,  while  heiven  was  brought 
very  near. 

In  the  course  of  his  ministry,  several  hundred  w.*re  hope- 
fully conv.'rted  ;  but  the  wonderful  amount,  of  j^ood  he  did  in 
building  up  the  people  of  G>d  in  faith  and  knowledge  eter;ii- 
ty  alone  can  itrifoid.  The  nature  and  exrent  of  his  labors 
prevented  much  pistoral  visi'aion,  except  in  his  itnmediate 
M 'igliborhood,  whereas  usual  h  ^  was  faith-'ui,  was  always 
welcome,  ever  did  good.  In  the  sick  roo:n,  his  cheei'fiil 
gravity,  and  words  of  encouragement  wire  invaluable. 
Wnenevi'r  not  weighed  down  wiih  his  life  long  and  distre>=sin2: 
f>hysical  maladies,  he  shed  always  around  him  hojjo  and  glad- 
ness. 

Mr.  Reid  manifested  the  prf)founde-t  in i crest  in  the  Avelfare 
of  the  colored  people.  Believing  that  the  institution  of 
slavery  was  based  upon  the  solid  foundation  of  Bible  teach- 
ing and  authority,  lie  thought,  and  with  diligence  and  ear- 
nestness taught  in  the  pulpii,  in  the  church  judicatories,  and 
his  private  conversation,  even  from  house  to  house,  that  it 
wa-<  the  solemn  duty  (,f  maslei  s  to  train  up  their  servants  in 
*' tlic  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord."  This  was  the 
eoursc  he  pursued  with  his  own.  lie  always  gathered  his 
house  servants  in  his  fainilv  devotions,  morning  and  evening. 
As  to  the  laborers  in  the  field, ht-  had  a  separate  sc  vice  for  thein 
rising  by  daylight,  and  conducting  suitable  rdigious  exercis- 
es before  they  repaired  to  their  work,  and  in  like  u)anner  af- 


REV.    JOHN    WILSON    REID.  281 

ter  tiicj  returned  in  the  evening.  For  upward  of  twenty 
year-',  also,  it,  was  his  custom,  when  at  home,  to  assemble  on 
Sibbatli  afternoon  a  large  congregntion  of  these  people,  and 
t )  instruct  them  ^Yas  his  usual  care  and  toil,  in  the  great  doc- 
ti-ioes  of  revealed  religion — using  the  Bible  and  Jone's  Cate- 
chism, v/ith  preaching,  for  tliis  purpose.  Faithfully  he  Avarn- 
ed  them  against  their  peculiar  vices,  set  forth  and  taught 
their  obligations  in  the  relations  then  sub-^isting,  and  by  eve- 
ry available  means  endeavored  to  enlighten,  elevate  and  save 
them.  His  labors  were  fruitful  in  many  respects,  nnd  indi- 
viduals and  society  at  large,  reaping  great  benefit  from  his 
influence  and  exertions. 

In  the  church  courts,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  held  in 
the  liighest  estimation.  His  ardent  piety,  ever-])urning  zeal, 
activity,  and  interest  in  every  thing  pertaining  to  the  ad- 
vancement uf  the  Redeemers  Kingdom,  gave  him  great  wught 
■\Nhich  wa>  always  exerted  prudently,  and  for  high  purposes. 
l\Iore  than  one  minister  has  been  heard  to  testify,  that  frona 
hi-i  presence  and  preaching,  they  had  derived  more  benefit 
than  from  those  of  any  other  man. 

But  the  end  approaches.  The  faithful  servant  had  fought 
the  good  fight,  hud  run  his  race,  had  kept  the  faith,  and  now 
must  finisli  his  couise.  Although  scriou-ly  ill,  he  set  out  on 
Saturdaj^  mornirig  of  a  hot  July  day  to  ride  twenty  miles  on 
horse-back  to  preach  to  one  of  the  Churches  in  his  charge.  On 
S^ibbathmorningonhis  way  to  his  own  church,  he  stopped  at  the 
Methodist,  and  scarely  able  to  stand,  made  an  address  to  the 
Sabbath  school.  When  he  reached  his  own  pulpit,  he  was 
too  ill  to  preach,  and  retired  to  afrienil's  hou-^e,  where  he  re- 
mained until  Monday  afternoon,  at  about  an  hour  before  sun- 
set ;  when  he  rose,  requested  his  horse  to  be  brought  and 
started  for  home,  Avhich  he  reached  about  two  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  in  so  weak  and  exhausted  a  condition  as  hardly  to 
be  able  to  reach  his  bed.  The  powers  of  nature  were  exhaust- 
ed ;  atid  though  perfectly  rational  when   aroused,    he  never 


282  KECROLOGY. 


rallied  from  the  depression.  During  bis  remaining  short 
stay,  he  offered  the  most  solemn  and  affecting  prayers  for 
those  around  him,  left,  his  parting  messages  to  different  mem- 
bers of  his  family,  and  one  foi-  the  Church  in  Woodstock,  to 
which  he  had  so  long  preached.  The  latter  is  contained  in  tlie 
twelve  first  verses,  of  the  twelfth  chapter  of  Hebrews,  togeth- 
er with  the  charge:  "  Prepare  to  meet  thy  God."  lie  seemed 
to  be  occupied,  during  his  illness  when  left  to  himself,  in 
pieparing  sermons,  preaching,  and  teaching.  On  Tliursday 
m<'rning,  about  dayligtu,  he  feb  asleep  in  Jesus,  so  gently  as 
to  be  scarC'  ly  perc  ivi  d. 

Of  hixi  we  may  truly  say  ;  "  Blessed  are  the  dead  who  die 
ir  the  Lord,  fiom  henceforth;  yea,  saith  the  Spirit,  that 
th.ey  may  rest  fr  ^m  their  labars  :  and  their  works  do  follow 
them." 


KEY.  SAMUEL  KEXNEDY  TALMAGE* 


Major  Thomas  Talmage,  the  fatlier  of  Dr.  Talraagc,  wa& 
a  native  of  New  Jersey,  born  at  Ba-king  Ridge  jh  the  24th  of 
October,  1775,  and  grew  up  amid  the  scones  of  the  Revolu- 
tion. His  early  r(?ligious  training;  was  under  the  ministry 
of  the  Rev.  Sa  uuel  Kenneday,f  for  many  years  the  faithful 
and  successful  pastor  of  thit  ancient  Church,  :ind  af^er  whom 
he  named  his  son,  the  sulgect  of  th  s  mentorijil.  He  united 
with  the  Church  in  his  twentierh  year.  His  pieiy  is  repre. 
sented  as  being  intelligent  aivi  ardent.  His  vi.  ws  of  diictii- 
nal  truth  and  religious  experience,  ha\ing  been  formed  in  the 
school  of  one,  who  was  almost  an  itnmediare  disciph'of  tho 
early  puritans,  had  all  the  depth  and  warmth  which  charac- 
terized those  holy  men.  He  was  one  of  the  few  remaining 
Christians  of  a  former  age.  No  one  conld  converse  with  him, 
even  an  hour,  without  perceiving  that  his  thoughts  and  feel- 
ings were  assimilated  to  those  of  Bunyan,  Bates  and  Howe. 

*MSS.  from  the  familj'  and  Board  of  Tmstecs,  Oglethorpe  IJni- 
Tersity. 

f  Kev.  Samuel  Konneday  wa3  a  Scotcliniiin,  born  in  flie  year  1720, 
and  educated  at  theUuivcrsity  of  E'iiuliurgli.  Hestndc  1  Theology  in  this 
country,  and  was  received  under  the  care  of  tlie  Presbytery  of  New 
Brunswick  in  December,  1749.  He  was  licensed  in  May,  1750,  to  preach 
the  Gospel,  was  ordained  U>  the  work  of  the  n>inistry,  and  installed  pas- 
tor of  the  congregation  of  Baskintr  Ridge,  N.  J.  in  June    1751. 

Mr.  Kenneday  was  iu  many  respects  a  reuriurkahje  maw.  He  was,  at 
the  sann'  time,  a  minister  and  a  physician.  He  was  distingu5sh"d  for 
the  purity  and  elevation  of  his  Christian  chui-acter.  He  was  a  thnrough 
scholar — accurate  theologian — and  a  vigorous  defender  of  theCalyinislic 
aysteni.  In  appearance  and  manner  oneofllie  most  simple  and  unosten. 
tacious  of  men, — his  great  modesty  kept  liim  very  much  out  of  the 
range  of  public  ol)servalion  ;  but  in  'he  pulpit  his  power  of  thouglit  and 
fervor  of  manner  sometimes  rendered  him    perfectly  overvvheln>iug. 

283 


28i  NECROLOfiY, 

Ills  piety,  although  partaking  larg*?!/  of  the  deep-roaod, 
and  contemplative  cast  of  the  last  century,  had,  nevertheless, 
ail  the  ardor  and  activity  of  the  pre-ent  time.  Dining  a  re- 
vival enjoyed  at  Somervilie  in  1822,  he  seemed  to  be  anima- 
ted :i!iiio>i  with  apostolic  zeal,  g'ing  fi'ora  house  to  hoase  com- 
mcndiiig  the  Saviour  to  all  men. 

At  different  tini^s  he  exercised  tlie  offic"  of  Ruling  Elder, 
in  the  Churches  of  New  Brunswick,  Ij.tundhrook,  and  Ra^i- 
tan  ;  and  sustained  it  with  honor  to  himself  and    advantage 

A  oirciunstaiico  has  been  tr)kl  of  him,  by  the  Kcv.  Dr.  Tulmigi\ 
"wliich  lie  learned  from  liis  father,  und  which  we  bcu'  leave  here  to  lelatn. 
It  left  a  deep  impression  on  llie  niind-<  of  those  who  heard  him;  and 
displayed  the  wonderfid  grace  of  God. 

"There  liad  been  a  season  of  unusn  il  collness  in  the  Church  ai  Risk- 
hii?  Ilidiio,  and  tlie  pastor  luid  become  not  a  little  discouraged  in  view  of 
the  apparent  truitiessness  of  his  labors  Oa  a  certain  Sabbaih,  at  ;lie 
cio-^e  of  the  public  seivices,  he  resolved  to  spend  the  wiiole  of  die  iollov,  - 
ini!;  week  in  eariiest  prH}er  aiul  devout  stud}',  with  a  vii-'w  to  pi'cpare  a 
SfMUon  that,  by  God's  blessing,  nught  rouse  the  congiegation  li-onitlieir 
Bpiritniil  torpor,  and  hiiiig  them  'o  f^el  the  importance  of  eternal  reali- 
ties. He  fuliilled  his  puriiise — immediately  selecting  his  text  ior  the 
nexi.  Sib)ath,  and  devoting  ilie  whole  intervening  week  to  matu.ing 
and  arranging  his  tliou^lits  upon  it  Tlie  Sabbath  came,  and  in-  I'e  t 
slrof.g  in  rh  •  belief  that  lie  had  produced  s«metliing  that  would  move 
hi^  people,  and  he  expi-cicd  confidently  to  witness  ^ome  special  tokens  of 
the  Divine  picsence.  A-fter singing  and  prayer,  he  gave  out  tiie  second 
hyma,  and  i»ok  liis  Bible  to  open  to  the  text.  But  strange  to  tidl,  ho 
couhl  noteall  to  his  mind,  text, chapter,  l)o-'k — even  subject, had  deseited 
Jiim.  The  congregation  had  (inished  singing,  and  in  a  half  b"wil  !(-red 
stale,  he  rose  and  gave  out  another  hymn,  lie  turned  over  the  leaves 
<jf  tiie  Bible  to  tind  s.ane  passage  on  which  to  found  an  extemjxira- 
neou-i  di  cour.se,and  his  eye  lighted  repeatedly  on  one  text  upon  wlTu'li 
he  thought  he  might  say  sosnelhmg.  If  my  memory  serves  un-,  't 
was:  "The  wicked  shall  be  turned  into  Hell,  and  all  the  nutii  ns 
that  torget  God."  The  singing  being  again  concluded,  he  rose, 
overwhelmed  with  agitation  and  distress,  and  preached  a  seiinon 
wliieli  meltf'd  down  the  whole  c  mgre..raiion,  and  was  the  coin.nence- 
ment  of  a  wonderiui  reviva!  of  religion.  He  said,  never  had  he  before  ia 
his  lite,  enjoyed  so  much  freedom  or  exercisul  so  much  power  in  the 
pulpit.     He  went  liomi;  alone,  weeping  and  rejoicing. 

dr.  Keaneday  died  on  the  ;3Ist  ot  August,  1787,  in  the  sixty  e'ghth 
3'ear  of  liis  age,  and  thirty-seventh  of  his  ministry. 


R!iV.  SAMUEL  KENNEDY  TALLAGE.         285 

to  the  house  of  Go"l.  He  died  on  the  2nd  day  of  October 
18o4:,  in  the  seventv-ninth  year  of  his  age. 

His  Avifc,  and  m  )thei-  of  Dr.  Tahnage,  \\m  Miss  Mary  Mc- 
Coy. She  united  with  the  Church  in  her  sixteenth  year.  "  They 
lived  together  in  the  g'-catest  connubial  h  ippiness  for  the 
space  of  fifty-seven  years,  and  became  the  parents  of  twelve 
children,  all  of  whom  tiiey  had  the  happiness  of  seeing  arrive 
at  maturity,  and  walking  in  the  \v:iy  tf  righteousness."  Two 
of  the  r  sons  consecrated  their  lives  to  the  service  of  the 
Church  of  Christ,  in  the  mii;i.^try  of  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
namely:  the  Rev.  Jehiel  Talmtge  and  the  subject  of  this  me- 
morial. She  died  the  15tli  ef  November,  iyo2,  in  the  seventy- 
fourth  ye;tr  of  her  age,  preceding  her  husband  to  the  king- 
dom of  g\ovy  about  two  years,  having  been  a  member  of 
the  Church  of  Christ  about  fifty-eight  years.  Such  were  the 
parents  of  him,'  a  brief  tkotch  of  -whose  life  we  are  now  to 
write. 

Samuel  Kennedy  Talmage,  the  sixth  son  of  Thoraa.s  Tal- 
magc,  senior,  and  his  wife  Mary  McCoy,  -was  born  near 
Somervillo,  in  the  State  of  New  Jersey,  on  the  11th  day  of 
December,  1708. 

Early  in  life  they  devoted  him  to  God  in  baptism,  as  they 
did  all  their  other  children,  and  trained  him  up  in  the  nur- 
ture and  admonition  of  the  Lord.  He  was  always  a  pleasant 
lad,  and  grew  up  to  manhood,  admired  by  all  who  knew  him. 
He  was  prepared  for  College  at  the  cla-ssical  school  in  Somer- 
vlUe.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  was  thrown  entirely  upon 
his  own  resources.  During  the  year  of  1815,  he  taught  at 
Georgetown,  D.C.,  as  assistant  of  tkeRev.  Dr.  Carnahan,and 
during  the  years  181(5.  and  1817,  he  taught  in  the  State  of 
Maryland.  He  entered  Princeton  College,  (Nassau  Hall,)  1818, 
and  was  graduated  with  honor  to  himself,  in  1820.  In  1821, 
he  united  with  the  Presbyterian  Church  at  Basking  Ridge,  N. 
J.  then  under  the  care  of  the  Rev.  W.  C.  Brownlee,  D.  D.  He 
■was  at  that  time  usher  of  Dr.  Brownlee's  Classical  SehooL  He 


28'3  NECROLOGY. 


was  then  cliosen  Tutor  to  Princeton  College,  and  thi.s  position 
he  fil'ed  for  three  years.  In  the  raemtirae,  he  entered  the 
Theological  Seminary,  pursuing  his  divinity  studies,  and  at- 
tending to  his  College  duties  at  the  same  time.  He  was  licensed 
to  preach  the  Gospd  by  the  Presbytery  of  Newton,  in  the 
spring  of  1825.  In  the  faH  of  the  same  year,  he  was  ordain- 
ed a.s  an  Evangelist,  by  the  same  Presbytery,  and  coming 
Sou  h,  lie  labored  as  a  missionary  for  one  year  at  Hamburg 
and  other  points  in  Edgffield  Di-trict,  South  Carf)lina, 
In  January,  1827,  he  was  united  with  the  Rev.  Dr.  S.  S.  Da- 
vis, in  supplying  the  Pre-bjterian  Church  at  Augusta,  Ga. 
to  thepa^torate  of  which  he  was  called  in  theearlypartof  1828. 
In  this  relation  he  continued  until  January,  1836,  when  he 
was  el  cred  to  the  Professorship  of  Li-igua^es  in  Oglethorpe 
University.  Tliis  chair  he  filled  until  the  close  of  1841,  at 
which  time  he  was  chosen  President  of  that  Institution.  The 
Doctorate  of  Divinity  was  conferred  upon  him  by  Princeton 
College. 

^J'he  duties  of  the  Presidency  he  continued  to  discharge  un- 
til his  health  began  to  fail  in  the  f  11  of  1862,  and  he  died 
whilst  still  at  the  head  of  the  University.  He  departed  this 
life  at  Midway,  Ga.,  on  the  2nd  day  of  September,  1865,  in 
the  sixty-seventh  year  of  his  age,  and  the  forty-first  of  his 
ministry. 

Such  is  a  brief  record  of  the  life  of  an  able  and  good  man. 
Its  perusal  simply  inspires  the  conviction  that  he  was  from 
youth  to  old  age  an  earnest  worker  He  lived  for  no  holi- 
day purpose.  He  lived  to  declare  the  glory  of  God,  and  to 
bless  his  fellow  men.  He  filled  profitably  a  wide  field  of  use- 
fulness. Entering  life  as  a  teacher,  he  was  at  an  early  age 
set  apart  to  the  sacred  ministry,  and  closed  his  pilgrimage,  a 
laborious,  self-sacrificing  preacher,  and  a  successful  exponent 
of  the  educational  interest  of  his  adopted  State,  It  is  natu- 
ral and  just  to  contemplate  the  character  of  this  eminent  man 
in  a  three-fold  point  of  view,  as  a  citizen,  as  a  teacher,  and  a 
Christian  minister. 


REV.  SAMUEL  KENNEDY  TALMAGE.         287 

llow  few  in  these  a.«pects  of  charac"er  present  so  little  to 
censure  and  so  much  tu  commenil!:'  Duty  to  him  was  made 
easier,  by  a  vigorous  constitution  and  a  cheerful  tempera- 
ment. In  those  respects  Providence  was  bountiful  to  liim. 
Tht)  greater  part  of  his  life  he  knew  but  little  of  the  draw- 
back of  debility  upon  intellectual  effort,  and  exp'^rienced 
the  comfort  and  solid  advantage  of  a  sound,  enduring,  and 
elastic  physique.  Doubtless  that  uniformity  of  temper  which 
his  friends  weie  accustomed  to  find  in  the  Doctor,  was  a  con-, 
science  at  peace  with  God.  Piery  ?s  the  fountain  of  Chris- 
tian cheerfulness  ;  yet  the  causes  stated,  may  contribute  to  its 
graceful  and  benignant  flow.  His  manners  were  easy  and 
cultivated,  and  in  the  sociery  of  ladies,  soft  and  winning.  He 
was  a  pleas;int  companion  and  an  instructive  talker.  Chris- 
tianity in  him  wore  no  repulsive  garb,  and  he  made  no  di- 
vorce between  the  sanctity  of  his  vocation  and  tlie  amenities 
and  pleasures  which  it  both  allows  and  commends.  His  ex- 
ample was,  therefore,  a  continuous  and  eloquent  presentation 
of  the  Christian  gentleman.  He  had  the  faculty  of  adapting 
himself  pleasantly  to  the  company  he  chanced  to  be  in,  with- 
out for  one  moment  compromising  the  claims  of  religion. 
Few,  indeed,  were  blessed  like  him,  with  the  capacity  of  ut- 
tering a  word  of  religious  counsel,  without  offence,  even  in 
circles  of  thoughtless  gaiety,  or  of  absorbed  worldliness.  In 
this  sense  he  was  a  man  of  the  world,  and  all  things  to  all 
men. 

Ho  was  an  observant  and  enlightened  citizen  ;  well  inform- 
ed upon  general  questions  of  statesmanship,  and  familiar  with 
tlie  local  wants,  and  political  divisions  of  the  State.  Nor  did 
he  hesitate,  whilst  studiously  avoiding  all  partisanship,  to 
make  known  his  opinions  upon  proper  occasions,  and  to  as- 
eert  them  practically  at  the  polls.  Unlike  some  of  his  breth- 
ren of  the  ministry,  be  did  not  believe  that  his  consecration 
to  God  absolved  him  from  the  obligations  of  citizenship. 
Hence  in  conversation,  in  the  class-room,    and  through  the 


288  NECROLO&Y. 


press,  he  advcaoteJ  and  elucidated  the  principles  which  con- 
stitute the  foundations  of  good  government — chief  among 
these  ho  held  to  be  education  and  Christian  nioritlity.  It  is 
helievcd  that  no  minister  of  the  gospel  contributed  more  ta 
the  formation  and  perpetuaMon  of  a  sound  public  sentiment 
in  Georgia,  with  reference  to  monetary,  economicnl,  iig- 
ricultural,  and  social  interests,  than  did  Dr.  Tahnage.  lie 
might  well  be  designated  a  conservative  statesman,  so  or- 
jderiiig  and  so  timing  his  political  teachings,  as  to  interfere 
not  at  all  with  higher  obligations  of  scholastic  instructions,  or 
with  the  holier  functions  hf  the  ministry.  He  lived  to  see 
the  State  he  loved,  great  in  population,  wealth  and  moral 
power.  And  although  now  broken  by  the  storms  of  war, 
and  shattered  by  conquest,  destined  under  the  blessing  of  God 
to  become  a  groat  and  renowned  commonwealth. 

The  Prcsh/fto'ian  C/iurcIi,  impressed  with  the  importance 
of  subjecting  secular  education  to  the  influences  of  religion, 
founded  Oglethorpe  University/ ;  and  to  make  the  end  practi- 
cable, it  was  placed  under  denominational  control.  Upon  the 
retirement  of  its  first  President,  the  distinguished  C.  P.  Bo- 
man,  D.  D.,  D.-.  Tabnage  was  ca'led  to  the  Presidency.  No 
better  man  could  have  been  selected  to  carry  out  the  views 
of  the  Church.  Profoundly  convinced  of  the  fac\  that  the 
Church  is  the  safest  depository  <>f  education,  and  of  the  fact, 
that  all  knowledge  maybe  pernicious  witiiout  piety — sati>ned 
that  the  young  should  be  taught,  not  a  creed,  but  the  truth 
as  it  is  in  Jesus  Christ — he  gave  himself  to  the  service  of 
the  College,  with  ardent  zeA  and  unconditional  consecra- 
tion. All  other  objects  became,  with  him,  secondary  and 
subservient.  The  Board  records  with  pleasure,  and  with  grat- 
itude, the  fidelity  and  ability  with  which  he  fufilled"  the  tru>t 
which  they  committed  to  him. 

At  the  breaking  out  of  the  late  war,  with  an  able  corps 
of  instructors — with  classes  numerically  respectable  and  in- 
creasing, and  with  the  confidence  of  the  public — the  Univer- 


KEY.  SAMUEL  KENNEDY  TALMAGE.         280 

sity  stood  in  the  first  rank  of  Denominational  Institutions  at 
the  South.  It  had  become  a  decided  success,  and  was  indebt- 
ed in  an  eminent  degree  for  its  great  usefulness  to  the  abil- 
ty,  and  indomitable  energy  of  its  President.  In  the  recitp, 
tion  room  he  was  apt  in  communicating  knowledge,  and  in 
discipline  paternal,  yet  firm,  relying  more  upon  appeals  to  a 
sense  of  character  than  the  penal  visitation  of  law.  He  was 
patient,  affable — vigilant  and  persistent.  An  accomplished 
classical  scholar,  and  a  finished  rhetorician,  he  was  a  beauti- 
ful examplar  of  polite  literature.  As  such  he  became  a  mod- 
el for  the  young  men  under  his  charge.  Naturally  he  was  a 
generous  and  magnanimous  man.  It  is  not  surprising,  there- 
fore, that  he  impressed  his  character  upon  them.  lie  was  in 
the  habit  of  devoting  his  long  vacations  to  preaching  excur- 
sions into  the  country  ;  and  wherever  he  went — at  the  seat 
of  Government — in  the  towns  and  villages — before  the 
Presbyteries  and  Synods — and  through  the  religious  and  sec- 
ular papers,  he  instantly  pressed  the  claims  of  religious  edu- 
cation, and  of  Oglethorpe  University.  Indeed,  it  is  more  than 
probable  that  excessive  labor  for  a  number  of  years,  contrib- 
uted to  the  disease  which  finally  closed  his  life. 

It  remains  to  speak  briefly  of  his  ministerial  character. 
Ilis  preaching  was  evangelical.  The  cros»  was  the  motive 
power  of  his  ministry.  The  atonement  was  the  theme  where- 
with he  sought  to  move  sinners  to  repentance,  and  Cliristians 
to  advancement  in  holiness — to  a  more  implicit  obedience 
and  a  more  unwavering  faith.  Planting  himself  on  the  great 
truths  of  Calvinistic  Theology,  he  made  them  practical  by 
argument,  illustration,  and  persuasive  oratory.  He  delight- 
ed greatly  in  the  devotional  songs  of  David,  and  loved  to  re- 
peat the  resounding  strains  of  Isaiah.  He  was  a  learned  Theo- 
logian, but  not  a  dogmatical  expositor.  Especially  did  he 
venerate  the  long  avouched  standards  and  long  approved  poli- 
ty of    his  own  Church.     These  he  defended  against  the  per- 

Tersion,  interpolation,  and  infusion  of  secular  philosophy. 
19 


290  ICECROLOGY. 


lie  Avas  a  regular  attendant  upon  the  judicatories  of  the 
Church,  where  his  experience  and  business  habits  made  hira 
useful. 

In  the  fall  of  18G2,  his  health  bos^an  to  fail.  He  Avas  at 
first  stizod  wuh  something  like  paralysis,  lienewed  attacks 
Avere  attended  wiih  convulsions,  Avhich,  for  a  few  days  after 
each  attack,  left  his  fine  intellect  clouded  to  such  an  extent 
as  to  make  it  necessary  to  place  him  under  the  care  and  pro- 
fessional skill  of  his  friend,  Dr.  Green,  at  the  Georgia  State 
Asylum,  with  the  hope  that;  isolation,  treatment  and  rest, 
might  restore  him.  Bat  his  hope  proved  to  be  vain.  At  ir- 
regular in'ervals  the  convulsions  returned,  each  one  of  them 
followed  for  several  days  by  a  disordered  action  of  his  men- 
tal powers.  This  continued  gradually  and  surely,  undermind- 
ing  his  consiitution,  till  on  the  second  of  September,  18G5, 
this  long  and  painful  disease  terminated    his  life. 

The  loss  of  the  mind  of  a  man  so  great  and  so  good,  is  one 
of  the  mysteries  of  Providence  which  inspires  awe  and  trem- 
bling, and  the  solution  of  Avhich,  it  were  folly  to  undertake. 
We  only  know  that  the  Lord  of  all  the  earth  A\-ill  do  rigiit, 
and  that  it  is  our  duty,  humbly  to  submit  to  the  most  inscruit- 
able  of  His  dispensations.  He  died  suddenly  and  Avithout 
pain  ;  ind  Avhilsthis  death  is  a  great  loss  to  the  Church,  the 
College  and  the  country,  it  is  to  him  inefhble  gain.  His 
work  Avas  done.  God  called  hira  ;  and  Avliilst  Ave  are  bereaved, 
he  is  transferred  to  the  upper  Sanctuary,  We  rejoice  in  the 
conviction  of  his  acceptance  by  God,  through  the  merits  of 
his  Son.  The  fruits  of  his  life  are  proofs  quite  sufficient  for 
this  conviction.  His  example  lives,  and  Ave  hope  to  emulate 
his  virtues. 

He  left  a  widoAv,  Miss  Ruth  Sterett,  to  Avhom  he  was  uni- 
ted in  marriage,  July  11th,   ISoi.     They  had  no    oflspring. 

In  addition  to  the  preceding  memorial.  The  Board  of 
Trustees  of  Oglethorpe  University,  at  their  first  meeting 
Bubsequcntto  his  decease,  adopted  the  following  note  and  res- 
olutions : 


REV.  SAMUEL  KENNEDY  TALMAGE.         291 

"  Wo  would  not  intrude  into  the  presence  of  his  heart-strick- 
VT\  wife  with  unavailing  condolence,  and  would  leave  her 
rather  to  the  soothing  influence  of  time,  to  the  sweet  memo- 
ries of  her  husband,  and  to  the  healing  grace  of  God.  We  can- 
not, liowever,  forbear  to  express  our  sympathy  for  her  in  the 
time  of  her  deep  affliction.  We  would  lay  our  hand  gently  up- 
on lier  aching  heart  and  say  :  '  Peace  be  still — he  is  not  dead 
but  sleepeth — his  spirit  is  in  the  bosom  of  God,  and  his  body 
shall  rise  again  glorified  at  the  last  day.' 

"  Bcsolved,  That  in  the  death  of  Dr.  Talmage,  the  Church 
and  the  State  have  sustained  the  loss  of  a  wise  and  patriotic 
citizen — a  laborious  and  successful  teacher — a  distinguished 
patron  of  letters,  a  devout  Christian,  and  an  able  and  evangel- 
ical minister  of  the  Gospel.  Ilis  removal  was  an  act  of  Divine 
Sovereignty,  at  which  we  feel  no  spirit  of  murmuring,  and 
in  Avhich  w^e  desire  humbly  to  acquiesce.  '  God  only  is  great' 
and  He  alone  is  merciful.  The  crowning  mercy  of  Dr.  Tal- 
mage's  life  was  his  death. 

"  Resolved  that  this  Testimonial  be  entered  upon  the  min- 
utes of  the  Board  of  Trust,  and  that  the  Secretary  furnish 
Mrs.  Talmage  with  a  copy  of  the  same."' 

Tho  Synod  of  Georgia  at  its  annual  Sessions  in  Augusta, 
Ga.,  October,  1865,  adopted  tho  following  minute  in  reference 
to  this  afflictive  event : 

"-  This  Synod,  in  the  Providence  of  God,  is  called  upon  to 
perform  the  painful  duty  of  recording  the  death  of  the  Rev, 
Samuel  K.  Talmage,  D.  D.,  who  departed  this  life  on  the  2nd 
day  of  September,  1865,  in  the  sixty-seventh  year  of  his  age. 
This  event  has  filled  the  heart  of  the  Church  with  emotions 
of  unminglcd  grief  and  sorrow,  and  deplored  as  a  public  ca- 
lamity by  the  intelligence  and  virtue  of  the  country.  His 
high  social  qualities  as  a  gentleman,  displayed  in  the  affa- 
bility of  his  manners,  and  the  charms  of  his  conversa- 
tion, his  fine  classical  attainments,  and  extensive  eru- 
dition  as  a  scholar,   his   signal    administrative    abilities   as 


292  NECROLOGT. 


President  of  Oglethorp  University,  the  depth  and  fervor  of 
his  piety  as  a  Christian,  his  fidelity,  diligence  and  populari- 
ty as  a  pastor,  and  his  rich  instructions  and  fervid  eloquence 
as  a  preacher  of  righteousness  ;  these  are  a  few  of  the  lead- 
ing facts  and  features  in  the  life  and  character  of  our  honor- 
ed father  who  has  entered  upon  his  rest  and  reward.  It  be- 
ing impossible  on  this  occasion  to  discuss  the  rare  combina- 
tions of  gift^  and  graces,which  belonged  to  our  lamented  and 
beloved  brother,  therefore, 

'■'■Resolved^  1st,  That  this  Synod  devoutly  recognize  the 
sovereignty  of  God  in  this  painful  affliction,  and  in  the  final 
change  of  this  eminent  and  faithful  minister  of  the  Gospel. 

'"'■  Resolved^  2hd,  That  an  expression  of  profound  gratitude 
is  due  from  us  to  the  Great  Head  of  the  Church,  for  sparing 
so  long  this  laborious  and  devoted  servant  in  the  field  of  use- 
fulness which  he  occupied,  and  that  we  will  ever  cherish  his 
memory,  and  emulate  his  pure  and  exalted  virtues. 

"  Resolved,  3d,  That  all  the  members  of  this  Synod'ical  As- 
sembly interpret  this  providential  dispensation  as  a  solemn 
call  from  the  skies  to  greater  sacrifices  and  more  abundant 
labors  in  our  Master's  vineyard,  that  we  may  be  ready  al- 
ways to  render  up  our  account  with  joy. 

'■''Resolved,  4th,  That  we  unitedly  tender  our  warmest  sym- 
pathies to  the  widow  of  the  deceased  ;  and  that  our  prayers 
will  ever  ascend  for  grace  to  comfort  and  sustain  her  in  this 
hour  of  deep  aflliction." 


REY.  NATHAl^T  HOYT,  D.  D  * 


Nathan  Hoyt,  D.  D.,  was  born  in  Gilmanton  Township, 
Belknap  county,  New  Hampshire,  February  27,  1793. 

The  brief  sketch  which  Dr.  Hoyt  has  left  of  his  father,  is 
quite  sufficient  to  show  that  he  was  a  man  of  marked  charac- 
ter. Energy  of -will,  fixedness  of  purpose,  and  thorough-go- 
ing integrity  of  principle,  seem  to  have  been  his  leading  qual- 
ites.  For  the  times  in  which  he  lived,  he  was  respectably 
educated.  His  intellect  was  fresh  and  bouyant,  delighting 
in  its  own  freedom,  reliant  on  its  own  impressions,  and  touch- 
ed with  that  fine  spice  of  originality  which  delights  in  gentle 
humor.  Withal  he  was  impulsive  and  enthusiastic;  iiiiagi- 
nation  and  sensibility,  were  closely  linked  in  his  moral  na- 
ture ;  the  range  of  his  mind  was  complete ,  for  all  the  offi- 
ces of  earnest  conviction,  so  that  whatever  he  saw,  he  saw 
vividly,  and  whatever  he  felt,  he  felt  deeply.  The  circum- 
S'tances  of  the  country  during  his  early  youth,  were  just  such 
as  intensified  a  character  like  this  ;  and  hence  it  is  nc  t  re- 
markable that  so  impassioned  a  person  should  have  voluntari- 
ly entered  the  American  army  at  sixteen  years  of  age,  and 
continued  therein  during  the  last  four  years,  of  the  Revolu- 
tionary War. 

Dr.  Hoyt's  mother  was  a  pious,  sensible,  devoted  woman. 
The  parents  had  their  home  in  the  country,  where,  with  cheer- 
ful content,  they  toiled  for  a  livelihood.  A  happy  household, 
they  lived  in  the  daily  fellowship  of  love  and  peace.  Both 
the  parents  belonged  to  the  Baptist  Church.  The  religious 
jaurture  of  their  family  was,  with  them,  a  constant  solicitude  ; 
the  sanctity  of  the  Sabbath  was  reverently  observed  ;  the 
doctrines  of  the  Bible  were  taught  from   its  pages  ;  the  in- 

*Cliaiicellor  Lipscomb. 

293 


294  NECROLOGY. 


V 

structions  of  the  Shorter  Catechism  were  faithfully  given  ; 
and  no  means  were  neglected  that  sound  wisdom  could  sug- 
gest or  tender  love  supply  to  draw  the  hearts  of  the  children 
to  the  God  of  their  parents.  Of  course  their  work  prospered. 
Such  work  never  fails,  if  it  could  fail  this  would  be  a  much 
sadder  world. 

The  early  life  of  the  Doctor,  as  recorded  in  his  auto-biogra- 
phy is  vividly  presented  It  has  much  of  that  quiet  person- 
ality, that  simple  naturalness,  tfiwt  exquisite  truthfulness  ta 
ini-tinciive  emotion,  which  as  an  art  of  writing,  was  so  admi- 
rably exemplified  by  Bunvan,  Cowper  and  De  Foe.  Only  a 
few  hints — the  quick  monosyllables  occasionally  sparkling — 
the  vivid  glance — the  terse  epitome — the  eager  movement 
from  scene  to  scene — a  boy's  sense  of  loneliness  in  the 
country — the  long  Sunday — a  boy's  wonder  at  his  Sis- 
ter's achievment  in  reciting  the  "  long  Fourth  Commarid- 
ment" — the  era  of  his  first  day  at  school,  and  how  very 
still"  he  sat,  and  how  fixedly  he  kept  those  restless  eyes 
on  his  book — the  joy  of  his  fi^rst  triumph  when  he  "ra:irched 
up  to  the  head  of  the  class  before  night  "  and  the  greater  joy 
when  he  hurried  hom«  to  tell  the  amazing  victory  to  his 
mother,  and  her  unconcealed  delight,  that  made  him  '•  about 
the  happiest  child  in  those  parts" — and  then  the  question- 
ings of  himself  as  to  whether  it  were  possible  ever  to  learn 
"  that  strange  jargon,  English  Grammar  "  and  his  large  be- 
lief in  the  fact  that  "if  a  man  had  ever  been  to  College  for 
three,  or  six  months,  he  was  a  great  and  learned  man." 
All  this  reads  like  a  whispered  soliloquy,  when  the  heart  is 
rehearsing  its  memories  to  its  answering  throbs. 

The  history  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  in  their  spiritual 
aspects,  is  more  than  usually  interesting.  The  whole  story 
is  given  just  as  though  he  felt  facts  then,  as  he  felt  them  at 
the  instant  of  occurence..  Few  can  be  trusted  to 
narrate  feelings  long  since  experienced,  for  the  uiem- 
ory  of  emotions    is    not  only    singularly    treacherou-:,    but 


REV.    XATHAN    HOYT    D.   D.  291 


the  imagination  is  exceedingly  apt  to  put  its  own  in- 
terpretations on  them,  and  thus  present  a  comment  on 
the  text,  instead  of  the  text  itself.  But  this  narrative 
strikes  one  as  intellectually  truthful  in  the  highest  degree. 
The  retentive  brain,  holding  its  grateful  recollections  as  a  de- 
vout inheritance,  neither  adds  nor  takes  away:  there  is  no 
foreign  and  intermeddling  self;  but  simply  what  he  felt,  and 
how  he  felt — this  and  no  more.  First  came  the  tendern'x^s 
toward  God  and  Christ,  which  grew  up  witliin  his  hearr  un- 
der the  loving  words  of  his.  mother's  insti'uction  ;  then  tiie 
keener  sensibility  to  sin  as  a  marter  of  person:il  consciius- 
ness  ;  then  the  struggle  with  its  uiternatiiig  roults,  until  ilie 
victory  was  won  in  the  blessedness  of  trust  and  peace.  It; 
was  the  conflict  of  a  boy's  nature.  It  was  like  everything  in 
boyhood,  the  sensuous  and  the  spiritual  confusedly  intermix- 
ed. Yet  even  then,  the  m  inly  spirit  was  silently  shaping  it- 
self into  the  strength  and  gladness  of  awaiting  years. 

"  My  parents,"  says  the  Doctor,  "took  me  to  Cliurch 
when  I  was  quite  young,  and  I  was  much  impressed  with  the 
solemnity  of  the  commanioii  services.  I  wondered  what  it 
meant,  and  when  I  listened  to  the  preaching,  I  w.^s  anx- 
ious to  understand  what  the  preacher  was  saying,  but  I  could 
nor,.  The  first  deep,  religious  impression  made  upon  my 
mind  was  produced  by  a  short  conversation  from  my  pious 
mother,  when  I  was  perhaps  nine  years  old.  I  am  nov\'  sixty- 
six  years  and  one  day  old;  and  yet  some  of  tlie  affectionate 
expressions  and  exhortations  of  my  mother  ring  in  my  ears. 
Oh,  that  all  the  mothers  of  the  land  knew  their  power,  and 
would  use  it  for  the  salvation  of  their  children."  A  year  or 
two  after,  "I  became,"  he  rem.irks,  '-the  subject  of  the 
deepest  religious  impressions.  For  a  long  time,  the  salva- 
tion of  my  soul  rested  heavily  upon  my  young  mind.  I  used 
to  wander  off  alone  into  the  fields  or  the  woods,  and  there  in 
anguish  of  spirit,  indulge  my  grief.  I  prayed  and  w^ooed  ;  I 
resolved  and  wept,   but  still  I  was    a  miserable  child,     i 


296  NECrvOLOGY. 


think  that  months  were  passed  in  this  way  ;  and  yet  perhaps 
no  human  being  suspected  my  condition.  My  power  of  con- 
cealment was  great.  God  only  knew  what  was  passing  in 
my  mind." 

At  the  age  of  seventeen,  he  professed  the  religion  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ.  It  was  an  intelligent,  well-considered, 
earnest  profession, — more  so,  we  apprehend,  than  is  common 
at  that  period  of  life.  Six  years  of  severe  struggles  with  er- 
ror and  unbelief,  making  one  false  effort  after  another  to 
find  rest  and  peace  in  himself;  trying  to  appease  his  con- 
science ly  the  doctrines  of  Pelagi.inism,  and  finally  aroused 
to  a  sense  of  his  dangerous  condition.  These  memorable  six 
years  seem  to  have  exhausted  the  last  remn-int  of  self-trust, 
and  to  have  prepared  him  by  humiliation  and  defeat  for  a  sim- 
ple and  heartfelt  embrace  of  the  Cross  of  Christ.  On  one 
page,  he  writes :  "  Many  of  my  friends,  severalof  my  sisters 
and  others  dear  to  me,  were  hopefully  converted.  I  stood 
amazed  at  what  I  saw  and  heard.  I  went  to  the  meetings, 
listendedto  the  preaching,  the  exhortations,  and  the  prayers, 
but  still  I  was  unmoved.  I  had  little  or  no  sense  of  ray  sin- 
fulness before  God.  I  intended  to  take  my  own  time.  I 
was  not  to  be  frightened  into  religion.  I  had,  as  I  vainly 
hoped,  the  power  in  my  own  hands,  and  when  a  convenient 
time  should  come,  I  intended  to  pass  into  the  Kingdom  and 
be  saved."  On  the  next  page,  he  adds  :  "After  the  revival 
had  been  going  on  for  some  weeks,  the  thought  was  stereo- 
typed upon  my  nund,that  I  was  now  to  have  my  last  call,  and 
that  if  this  season  passed  and  I  remained  in  sin  and  unbelief, 
my  doom  was  fixed  forever.  This  impression  I  could  not 
;-5hake  off,  go  where  I  would,  or  do  what  I  would,  it  followed 
me  night  and  day.  Aiid  now  my  distress  began,  and  it  ulti- 
mately became  very  great.  All  my  fancied  power  of  working 
myself  into  favor  with  an  offended  God  vanished  like  the 
view  before  the  rising  sun."  And  one  page  farther  on  in 
the  narrative,   he  says:  "I  went  to  a  prayer  meeting  one 


REV.    NATHAN    HOTT,    D.  D.  297 

uight  in  ths  couatry,feeling  as  if  I  shouldsink  into  the  earth. 
With  much  timidity,  I  arose  and  requested  the  people  to  pray 
for  me,  and  then  sat  down.  They  did  pray  for  me.  And 
for  the  first  time,  a  faint  hope  sprung  up  in  my  mind.  . 
I  felt  calm,  but  not  a  thought  entered  my  mind  that 
God  had  pardoned  my  sins  and  accepted  me  through 
Christ.  I  only  dared  to  hope  that  God  Avould  pardon 
me.  Mounting  my  horse,  I  rode  toward  homo,  a  dis- 
tance of  three  miles  or  more.  A.s  I  was  riding  along  in  the 
darkness  all  alone,  suddenly  I  became  so  filled  with  joy  in 
God  that  I  was  almost  ready  to  shout  aloud.  Arriving  at 
home,  I  laid  down  that  night  for  the  first  time  in  my  life  feel- 
ing that  I  was  in  the  arms  of  my  Heavenly  Father,  and  that 
I  loved  to  be  there.  The  next  morning  when  I  arose  and 
went  forth  to  my  daily  duties,  it  appeared  to  me  that  I  had 
never  seen  the  world,  the  trees,  the  flowers,  the  houses,  the 
people,  look  so  beautiful — all  nature  seemed  to  be  lifting  up 
her  voice  in  praise  to  God.  I  seriously  thought  that  I 
loved  God  so  intensely  that  I  could  and  would  love  liim, 
even  thoujxh  he  were  to  send  me  to  hell." 

These  extracts  give  the  spirit  of  genuine  experience. — 
Again  and  again  their  simple  force  and  unstudied  eloquence 
have  reminded  me  of  the  fervor  of  Edward  Irving,  or  the 
directness  of  Wesley,  or  the  tender  grace  of  Doddridge. 
There  is  no  novelty  here,  and  who  would  have  it  in  such 
hours  as  these  ?  Evidently  more  was  felt  than  uttered.  The 
strong  will  held  back  the  vigorous  hand, and  the  loving  heart 
was  too  humble  to  unburden  all  its  weight  of  feeling.  Nor 
can  any  thoughtful  Christian  fail  to  observe,  that  this  acute 
sense  of  his  own  utter  impotence,  this  total  abnegation  of 
self,  this  unreserved  reliance  on  Christ  Jesus,  as  the  recon. 
ciler  between  God  and  man,  no  less  than  between  man  and 
God,  as  they  combined  in  his  experience,  had  a  most  active 
and  significant  influence  in  mouldino;  the  future  minister  as 
well  as  the  Christian.     I  am  sure  that  I  can  recall  conversa- 


298  NECROLOGY. 


tions,  lectures  and  sermons,  when,  whatever  the  immediate 
topic  the  Doctor  was  reproducing,  the  thoughts;  images,  feel- 
ings of  that  rural  prayer-meeting,  only  interpreted  by  the 
larger  scope  of  manhood's  eye,  and  vivified  by  the  maturer 
^experience  of  an  earnest  life. 

Soon  after  this  he  joined  the  Baptist  Church,  and  contin- 
ued in  its  communion  for  ten  years.  The  first  hint  of  the 
ministry  is  thus  given  :  "  Not  long  after  I  joined  the  Cimrcl 
I  u--ed  to  think  of  the  Christian  ministry  as  a  delightful  call- 
ing, :ind  occnsionally  would  indulge  a  faint  hope  that  I 
might  be  permitted,  at  some  future  day,  to  enter  on  that 
high  and  solemn  work."  His  anxiety  to  obtain  a  liberal 
education  now  increased.  "My  advantages  for  education," 
says  he,  ''were  simply  those  afforded  by  the  New  England 
system  of  Free  Schools.  Every  winter  I  attended  school, 
and  was  considered  a  good  scholar  in  the  English  branches 
taught  in  those  schools."  At  this  time,  his  health  which 
had  been  singularly  good,  began  to  decline.  The  disease 
incre  ised,  and  finally  compelled  him  to  abandon  business. 
But  he  was  not  idle,  for  he  remarks  :  "  I  determined,  poor 
as  I  was  and  in  feeble  health,  to  try  and  obtain  an  educatioti, 
I  had  to  teach  school  awhile,  and  then  study.  I  studied 
sometimes  with  private  teachers,  and  at  other  times  in  pub- 
lic institutions."  Not  long  after,  he  changed  his  residence. 
"  With  the  little  money  that  I  had  earned  by  teaching  a 
country  school,  I  set  out  for  the  sea-shore,  thinking  that  the 
climate  near  the  sta  might  benefit  my  health  so  that  I  could 
again  prosecute  my  studies.  I  went  to  Cambridge,  Mass. 
and  remained  there  for  some  time,  studying  generally  with  a 
private  teacher,  and  with  a  view,  if  God  should  permit,  to  enter 
College  and  take  a  thorough  course.  My  success  in  study 
was  beyond  my  expectations  ;  my  health  was  better  ;  and  I 
began  to  hope  that  I  might  live  to  do  some  good  in  the 
•world. 

Stormy  times  followed.  The  war  of  1812-14,  was  still  pro- 


REV.    NATHAN   HOYT,  D.  D.  299 

greasing.  Boston,  Charlestown  and  Cambridge  were  full  of 
excitement.  Political  parties  were  violently  arrayed  against 
each  other,  and,  to  consummate  an  agitation  already  intense, 
a  British  fleet  appeared  off  Boston  harbor.  Threatening 
messages  passed  and  repassed  between  the  belligerents.  Sol- 
diers were  hastening  to  Boston,  and  defenceless  women  and 
children  were  hurrying  away  into  the  country.  Commodore 
Bainbridge  was  there  with  his  brave  words  :  '  Fifiht,  fifjlit, 
fight;  old  Ironsides  shall  he  my  coffin  ere  I  yield  one  inch  T 
But  the  British  fleet  at  length  retired  without  firing  a  gun. 
Peace  was  declared,  and  all  was  changed.  During  this  peri- 
od of  agitation,  not  much  progress  was  made  in  study.  About 
a  year  and  a-half  after,  I  returned  to  New  Hampshire,  and 
again  engaged  in  teaching,  which  I  continued  for  nearly  six 
months.  My  religious  feelings  were  quickened,  and  I  u.sed 
to  open  my  school  with  a  short  prayer.  I  tried  to  prosecute 
my  studies,  though  under  great  disadvantages.  I  took  an  ac- 
tive part  in  prayer-meetings,  and  at  times  would  indulge  the 
fond  hope  that  I  might  yet  preach  the  gospel.  But  I  had 
already  encountered  so  many  difficulties  from  my  relentless 
enemy,  dyspepsia,  and  from  poverty,  and  above  all,  from  a 
wicked  and  unsanctified  heart,  in  \^hich  so  many  ambitious 
aspirations  were  constantly  springing  up,  that  my  hopes  at 
this  period  were  very  faint." 

Closing  his  school,  he  went  to  Salisbury,  N.  H.,  and  en- 
tered the  High  School  under  the  charge  of  Mr.  W.  a  gradu" 
ate  of  Dartm)uth  College.  Of  this  gentleman  he  spMks 
most  affectionately,  as  one  who  "took  the  deepest  interest" 
in  his  welfare,  giving  to  his  mind  its  needed  encouragement, 
relieving  its  dilhculties,  and  guiding  him  with  great  skill 
through  "  Euclid,"  "  A3tronoray,"and  "  obi  Virgil."  The  im- 
pulse communicated  to  his  intellect,  and  still  more  to  his  affec- 
tions, was  most  marked,  for  the  Dr.  remarks  that  "  he  did  more 
to  unfold  and  develop  my  mind  in  six  months,  than  any  otner 
man  ever  did  in  two  years."     After  having  been  an  usher 


300  SECROLOGTY. 


in  this  Academy,  he  taught  a  district  school  near  the  liead 
of  the  Merrimac,  remaining  in  this  situation  six  or  e'.ght 
months. 

And  now  life  began  to  open  before  him  more  fully.  Though 
still  uncertain  as  to  his  future  vocation,  he  was  unconscious- 
ly growing  in  the  direction  of  that  work  which  afterwards 
became  the  joy  of  his  heart.  One  can  mnrk,  at  this  juncture, 
flow  the  dim  instincts  were  groping  towards  the  light  which 
was  felt  if  not  seen,  and  how  the  spirit, -under  God,  was  silent- 
ly forming  its  strength  for  the  day  of  battle.  It  is  the  old  re- 
cord, old  and  yet  ever  new,  repeated  yesterday  and  to-day, 
and  forever,  and  still  bearing  its  blessed  testimony  to  the 
sovereign  presence  of  that  spirit  which  worketh  after  the 
oounsels  of  its  own  will,and  heedeth  not  our  hindrances,  but 
(ioeth  its  own  work,  at  its  own  time,  and  in  its  own  way.  The 
future  man  begins  to  be  outlined.  The  types  and  shadows 
that  forecast  every  life  fiignally  devoted  to  God,  indicated 
their  sure  fulfilment,  and  were  already  accomplishing  thedr  end 
in  the  facts  they  prophesied. 

There  was  returning  zest  of  feeling.  The  buoyant  heart 
had  comeback  again;  the  cheerful  outlook  on  the  world,  the 
vivid  fancy,  the  sustainiijg  temperament  which  disease  had 
weakened,  the  keenly-receptive  senses  and  the  vigilent  nerves 
that  keep  watch  and  ward  over  the  myriad  objects  in  which 
intellect  and  spirit  find  strength  and  inspiration.  And  there 
■came  too  the  former  thrill  of  wandering  joy,  and  the  large  es- 
tate of  sentiment  and  hope  in  the  universe  of  sight,  and 
sound  and  motion,  and  the  ready  accesses  of  all  free  and  no- 
ble things  to  the  imagination;  and  yet  more,  the  stern  sense 
of  diviner  realities,  asking  for  utterance,  the  forming  passion 
for  speech,  and  that  unmistakable  touch  upon  the  very  core  of 
the  inward  being,  when  the  future  talker,  pleader,  intercessor, 
first  becomes  aware  of  the  strange  poAver  to  move  others — of 
a  power  to  transfer  his  thoughts  and  feelings  into  their  breasts, 
to  repeat  his  life  in  their  life — and  to  hear  the   echo   of    his 


REV.    NATE-AN    HOYT,  D.  D.  §02 

own  hesitant  voice  rehearsing,  from  afar,  the  ministry  of   an 
aecomplished  service  in  behalf  of  the  world. 

Among  the  points  of  special  interest  at  this  period,  I  may 
notice  that  openness  to  sympathy,that  capacity  to  enter  free- 
ly into  scenes  and  circumstances  about  him,  for  which  Dr. 
Moyt  was  subsequently  so  remarkable.  Intimations  of  this 
trait  of  character  appeared  early  in  his  life.  But  at  this 
stage,  it  is  specialized  by  a  prominence  it  never  lost.  Almost 
every  page  of  the  autobiography  teems  with  illustrations  of 
that  large,  sweet,  joyous  humaneness  that  dwelt  in  the  man. 
He  loves  the  every -day  world.  He  loves  men,  and  womeny 
and  children.  He  loves  to  hear  anecdotes  and  incidents^ 
loves  to  recount  any  striking  occurrence,  loves  to  lose  him- 
self in  outside  interests.  Far  from  his  genial  soul  are  the 
ways  of  the  cynic,  the  cold  satirist,  or  the  sly  sharp-shooter 
of  arrowy  malice.  And  withal  he  has  a  gentle  humor  and 
sometimes  a  keen  wit, that  are  not  to  be  lightly  valued  in  thi& 
many-sided  world.  The  Jyhtrict  school,  ^'■at  the  head  of  the 
Merrimac,"  seems  to  have  put  him  fairly  afloat  in  the  world; 
and  it  certainly  brought  onit  his  latent  force  which  had  pre- 
viously had  no  urgent  call  for  demonstration.  Oq  the  whole^ 
he  enjoyed  teaching,  though  he  evidently  did  not  regard  it  as 
a  luxury.  What  was  most  fortunate,  the  elastic  tone  of  his 
mind  was  quite  restored.  The  pithy  anecdote  now  and  then 
emerges  into  the  brilliant  foreground  ;  the  story  of  manag- 
ing a  notorious  boy  of  the  school,  and  of  this  same  "  F"  who 
was  cured  of  stealing  brown  sugar  at  a  store-door,  by  the 
merchant  mixing  a  quantity  of  potash  with  it,  and  the  mu- 
tual fright  of  merchant  and  boy,  when  the  catastrophe  reached 
its  climax  of  yelling  and  screaming,  is  finely  told.  And 
there  are  side  pictures  of  men  and  things,  local  touches,  in- 
sights into  the  times,  rough  customs  of  the  neighborhood, 
which  are  all  illustrative  of  the  social  vivacity  of  the  man,  to 
say  nothing  of  Mr  — ,  a  sort  of  Partington  in  those  days, 
who  returning  from  Boston  during  the  blockade,was  asked  by 


S02  NECROLOGY. 


his  friends,   "  How  matters  were  in   Boston  V  and  replied  c 
"  Oh  dreadful  !    Boston  is  all  Block- Headed  !" 

Having  retired  from  the  District  school,  he  went  back  to 
Salisbury  to  prosecute,"  as  he  states,  "any  original  purpose 
in  the  critical  study  of  the  Latin  Language."  Here  his  health 
■again  failed.  "  I  had  to  seek  relief,"  he  states,  "  by  visiting 
the  far-famed  Mineral  Springs  in  Saratooja  County,  N.  Y. 
I  think  this  was  in  the  fall  of  1816.  I  went  on  horseback  ; 
■and  the  apparently  trivial  circumstance  of  getting  my  horse's 
back  injured  while  on  my  way  to  the  springs,  was  the  means, 
under  God,  of  giving  a  new  turn  to  my  life, — the  beginning  of 
•a  series  of  events  which  resulted  in  my  leaving  the  Baptist 
Church,  and  finally,  years  after,of  entering  the  ministry  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church." 

The  narrative  proceeds:  "For  several  seasons,  the  summers 
in  New  England  and  in  the  Northern  States  had  been  so 
cold  that  the  corn  could  not  ripen.  I  think  it  was  in  1815  or 
16,  when  (where  I  lived,)  there  was  frost  every  month  in  the 
year  except  one.  I  saw  it  snow,  as  hard  on  the  sixth  day  of 
June  for  hours,  as  I  ever  saw  it  snow  in  January.  There  was 
every  prospect  of  a  famine.  This  produced  in  the  minds  of 
many  people,  gloom  and  melancholy.  Thousands  upon  thou- 
sands fled  to  the  far  West.  I,  among  others,  was  sighing  for 
a  country  where  winter  would  not  last  all  the  year.  If  my 
health  should  be  restored,  I  intended  to  seek  some  pleasant 
location  where  I  could  teach  and  thus  support  myself  while 
I  pursued,  in  private,  my  classical  studies.  The  thought  of  re- 
maining at  Saratoga,  never  crossed  my  mind.  But  my  horse 
■was  injured,  and  I  could  not  go  away.  Weeks  on  weeks 
passed,  and  I  was  still  there.  My  health  was  better.  I 
wanted  employment,  for  I  despised  idleness,  debt  and  tobac- 
co. .  .  .  One  pleasant  day,  I  wandered  into  the  upper 
part  of  the  village,  to  see  if  I  could  notlind  a  private  boarding- 
bouse  more  retired  than  the  hotel,  at  which  I  was  stopping. 
I  knocked  at  the  door  of  a  house  standing  a  little  back  from 


REV.    NATHAN    HOYT,  D.  D.  303 

the  main  street,  when  a  fine-looking,  polite  gentleman,  ab-iut 
thirty  years  of  age,  came  to  tho  door  and  met  me  in  'he 
blandest  manner.  I  told  him  my  business,  and  also  that  1 
would  like  to  eng^ige  in  reaching.  On  examining  my  papers, 
and  finding  that  ihey  spoke  of  the  bearer  as  a  thorough-go- 
ing teacher,  lie  beca'oe  interested  in  me,  took  me  into  his 
family,  and  soon  raido  up  for  me  a  select  school,  two  or 
three  of  his  childi-en  attend! Mg,)  which  I  continued  to  con- 
duct with  great  su"c.*ss  for  several  years.  This  gentlenian 
was  the  Rev.  D.  0.  Griswold, who  organized  the  Presbyterian 
Church  of  Saratogi,  after  I  Wont  there,  and  became  its  first  in- 
stalled Pastor.  The  friendship  thus  providentially  commenc- 
ing between  Mr.  G.  and  myself,  never  ended  but  with  his  life. 
A  noble  and  generous  man  he  was;  and  when  he  studied, 
(for  he  did  not  love  study )  he  was  a  splendid  preacher. 
I  had  entertained  some  doubts  as  to  the  truth  of  the  Baptist 
system.  .  .  .  My  solemn  doubts  relative  to  tiie  scrip- 
tural soundness  of  my  religions  creed,  constantly  increa:?ed, 
and  the  more  so  as  I  began  to  .-tudy  the  Now  Testament  in 
Greek.  ,  .  ,  During  four  years  I  investigated  the 
subject,  more  or  less,  and  sometimes  my  mind  was  almost  en- 
tirely given  up  to  it.  .  .  .  .  I  could  not  endure  close 
communion,  and  at  limes,  I  would  break  through  tho  rules  of 
my  Cburch  and-C)mmune  with  Pedobaptists.  I  loved  :<]l 
Christians,  and  could  not  bear  that  exdusive  system.  Dar- 
ing several  long  years,  I  suffered  greatly  in  my  feelings, 
while  i  was  unsettled  on  this  subject.  At  length,  with  clear 
convictions  of  dut}'-,  I  joined  the  Presbyterian  Church  at  Sar- 
atogi Springs,  and  soon  became  more  peaceful  and  happy." 
Here,  to),  he  hrst  hear.l  Dr.  Nettleton,  and  the  eloquent 
young  Larncd.  The  discourses  of  Dr.  Nettleton  deeply  im- 
pressed him,  while  the  private  intercourse  of  this  distinguish- 
ed man  charmed  his  heart.  The  following  entry  occurs  : 
"  Dr.  N.  labored  with  us  for  several  months  with  great  suc- 
cess.    A  powerful  revival    of  religion  was  the  result,  whicli 


304  NECROLOGY. 


extended  over  many  counties  in  New  York,  and  ultimately  in- 
to Massachusetts.  Dr.  N.  was  the  wisest  and  holiest  man 
I  ever  saw.  I  consider  the  time  spent  with  him  at  Saratoga, 
and  afterwards  at  Malton,  as  most  profitably  spent,  and  as 
one  of  the  best  parts  of  my  education." 

Health  again  failed.  Another  change  was  made,  and  the 
book-business  undertaken.  This  required  him  to  travel,  and 
disease  was  arrested.  Then  his  whole  mind  turned  to  the 
ministry.  "  My  heart  yearned  for  the  work.  Up  to  this 
time,  I  had  always  been  indulging  the  ambitious  desire  to  be 
a  great  preacher,  or  no  preacher,  at  all.  But  now,  by  the 
grace  of  God,  I  gave  that  all  up.  .  .  .  When  I  was 
enabled  to  come  down  into  the  dust,  God,  in  his  providence, 
opened  the  way  for  me  to  resume  both  my  Literary  and  The- 
ological studies,  and  to  gj  on  with  great  success."  Kind 
friends  sympathized  with  his  struggles,  counseled  and  cheered 
him,  and  did  all  in  their  power  to  direct  his  growing  mind, 
but  he  could  not  be  content,  unless  he  could  enter  College 
and  pursue  a  regular  course  of  education.  In  this,  he  was 
disappointed.  And  yet  the  failure  of  this  cherished  hope  only 
made  him  more  sensible  of  the  vast  benefit  which  he  had 
received  from  the  Rev.  Dr.  Tucker,  Dr.  E.  D.  GriflBn  and  oth- 
ers. The  influence  of  Dr.  Griffin,  who  had  then  risen  to  that  po- 
sition of  acknowledged  eminence  which  his  blended  genius  and 
goodness  so  strikingly  adorned,  seems  to  have  left  a  lasting  im- 
press upon  his  nature.  It  was  a  silent  force  working  in  the 
calmer  depths  of  his  heart,  rather  than  a  demonstrative  pow- 
er acting  upon  the  more  palpable  forms  of  intellect  and  emo- 
tion. Like  all  indirect  agencies,  it  had  somewhat  the  spirit 
of  an  inspiration,  destributing  itself  in  measures  large  and 
rich  throuo^h  the  inward  avenues  of  his  being.  With  all  Dr. 
Griffin's  views,  he  did  not  then,  nor  afterwards,  agree.  But 
the  ministerial  idea  that  fashioned  that  great  intellect  into 
such  beautiful  conformity  to  its  lofty  standard, — the  deli- 
cate  taste  that,  like  an  additional  sense,  could  harmonize 


REV.  NATHAN   HOYT,  D.  D.  306 

■whatever  tlie  other  senses  imparted  of  sublimity, or  loveliness, 
or  grace, — the  open  sensibility  that  welcomed  with  cordial 
joy  all  that  was  elevating,  and  ennobling, — ;iniJ  yet  more, 
those  profounder  qualities  which  constitute  a  capacity  for  ex- 
perience, and  enable  a  certain  order  of  men,  as  though  en- 
dowed with  a  peculiar  gifc,  to  appropriate  all  they  see,  hear, 
feel,  and  know,  to  the  service  of  a  ruling  passion  ; — these 
characteristics  of  Edward  Dorr  Griffin  wrought  upon  him 
with  wonderful  effect,  and  led  him  not  to  imitate  the  thinker, 
the  instructor,  the  preacher,  with  whom  he  was  in  contact, 
but,  what  was  so  much  better,  to  look  through  Dr.  Griffin  to 
the  ideal  which  the  Doctor  himself  sought  tO'  realize. 

Amid  these  charming  opportunities  for  culture  and  growth^ 
Dr.  Hoyt  was  again  doomed  to  disappointment.  His  bretli- 
ren  of  the  Presbytery  of  Albany,  N.  Y.,  under  whose  auspi- 
ces he  had  been  preparing  for  the  ministry,  thought  that  the 
time  had  arrived  for  him  to  commence  his  public  labors.  A 
new  mission-field  having  been  opened  in  Troy,  it  was  sup- 
posed that  he  was  a  suitable  person  to  enter  upon  this 
work.  The  sequel  proved  that  his  brethren  were  right.  Had 
he  been  left  to  himself  he  would  probably  hive  preferred  to 
continue  his  education.  But  how  often  Providt nee  interrupts 
oiir  methods  of  education,  and  in  their  stead,  substitutes  its 
own  higher  agencies  !  If  the  education  go  on,  who  dare  de- 
mur ? 

After  having  been  licensed,Doctor  Hoyt  proceeded  to  Troy. 
The  kind  and  considerate  sympathy  of  Dr.  Beman's  Church, 
with  which  the  Mission  was  connected,  greatly  cheered  his 
heart.  Like  his  divine  Master,  he  began  his  ministry  among 
the  poor.  His  first  sermon  was  preached  in  the  Poor-house; 
and  a  memorable  sermon  it  was, — pointed  and  pungeant, — 
securing  instant  success,  and  followed  by  an  extensive  revi- 
val of  religion.  But  in  the  midst  of  this  great  work,  his 
health  failed,  his  labors  were  arrested,  and  he  sought  the 
South  to  find  the  means  of  restoration. 
20 


806  NECROLOGY. 


It  was  late  in  the  autumn  of  1825,  tliat  he  reached  South 
Carolina,  and  became  the  guest  of  Capt.  R.  Cunningham,  to 
whom  he  brou^:^ht  letters  of  introduction.  After  a  short  stay 
in  this  charming  ^family,  to  whose  kindness  and  care  he 
folt  so  much  indebted,  he  continued  his  journey  to  Augus- 
ta, where  ho  met  his  friend,  Rev.  Dr.  Davis.  It  was  not  long 
before  he  received  an  invitation  to  preach  on  Beach  Island, 
which  he  accepted.  That  winter  and  the  spring  ensuing,  he 
labored  on  the  Island,  and  in  May  1826,  went  to  the  North 
to  visit  his  friends.  On  the  sixteenth  of  August  this  year, 
he  was  ordained  as  an  Evangelist,  at  Stillwater,  N.  Y.,  by  the 
Presbytery  of  Albany.  On  the  fourteenth  of  September  fol- 
lowing, he  was  married,  at  Springfield,  to  Miss  Margaret 
Bliss,  daughter  of  Mr.  Alexander  Bliss  of  that  place.  Re- 
turning to  Beach  Island,  he  resumed  his  labors.  At  no  peri- 
od of  his  ministry,  does  his  mind  seem  to  have  been  so  in- 
tensely excited.  And  at  no  period  in  that  long  and  blessed 
ministry,  wis  he  so  signally  prospered.  The  very  words 
which  record  his  feelings,  have  their  warmth  condensed  into 
a  fiery  glow.  "  I  prayed  ;  I  wept ;  I  studied  ;  I  preached  ; 
I  visited  from  house  to  house.  ...  I  could  not  sleep. 
I  could  not  rest  Avhile  the  people  were  posting  on  through  my 
sermons  to  hell."  Such  earnestness,  animated  and  directed 
by  the  Holy  Ghost,  could  not  fail  to  accomplish  its  divine 
end.  A  most  gracious  revival  followed,  which  continued 
through  the  summer  and  autumn.  "  The  organization  of 
the  Church  took  place  on  the  2d  Sabbath  in  August,  1827, 
when  between  thirty  and  forty  people  were  received  into  the 
Church  and  most  of  them  for  the  first  time  admitted  to  the 
holy  ordinance  of  the  Lord's  Supper — nine  of  them  receiving 
baptism  at  my  liands." 

About  this  time,  Dr.  Iloyt  was  called  to  several  Churches. 
He  decided  to  go  to  Washington,  Ga.  A  simple  entry  in  his 
own  handwriting  tells  the  pathos  of  the  parting:  "With 
an  achinij   hcrnt,  I  left  thclonel",  weeping  "  little  flock"  at 


REV.    NATHAN   HOYT,  D.  D.  307 

B.  Island  the  last  of  February,  and  began  my  labors  in 
Washington,  on  the  2d  day  of  March,  1«28."  The  congre- 
gation grew  rapidly  "  until  the  house  could  scarcely  hold  the 
people."  He  also  labored  at  Lexington  where  much  fruit  was 
gathered  from  his  ministry.  In  the  spring  of  1830,  he  re- 
ceived a  unanimous  call  from  the  Presbyterian  Church  of 
Athens,  Ga.,  to  become  its  pastor.  The  c^ill  was  accepted, 
and  about  the  first  of  May,  1830,  he  removed  to  that  city,  and 
entered  upon  his  pastoral  duties.  The  first  year  of  his  minis- 
try in  Athens  ended  ;  the  second  had  begun  ;  and  then  ;  in 
the  latter  part  of  May,  1831,  signs  of  promise  appeared.  And 
the  signs  grew  like  the  Prophet's  cloud,  until  the  whole  fir- 
mament was  a  cloud-sign  of  the  near  presence.  And  nearer 
■drew,  that  presence,  and  still  nearer  in  hastening  joy  ,till  at 
length  every  hillside  and  every  valley  felt  the  descending 
fruitfulness. 

It  was  a  memorable  season.  It  was  memorable  then,  and 
it  is  yet  memorable.  "  Seriousness  and  deep  feeling  per- 
Taded  the  town  and  the  college.  Some  days,  I  think,  there 
were  nine  prayer-meetings  in  a  day.  .  .  Stores  were 
shut  on  the  streets,  for  much  of  the  time  during  the  first  few 
days  of  the  meeting.  .  .  .  About  forty  of  the  young 
men  of  the  college  joined  the  different  churches  on  the  same 
day.  June  12,  1831,  I  received  into  my  Church  forty-six, 
people,  all  on  profession  except  five.  About  eighty-five  or 
ninety  joined  the  different  Churches  at  the  same  time." 
During  the  year  ensuing,  another  revival  occurred,  though 
not  so  extensive  as  the  former.  Nothing  remarkable  trans- 
pired in  his  ministry  in  1833-34.  But  early  in  1835,  his 
mind  was  impressed  by  the  spiritual  condition  of  his  Church 
and  congregation  ;  the  tone  of  his  preaching  was  peculiarly 
searching ;  and  with  daily  renewing  energy,  he  consecrated 
himself  afresh  to  his  work.  The  revived  sympathy  with  his 
great  duty  of  preaching  Christ  crucified,  fed  by  the  blessed 
memories  of  the  past,and  nourished  even  more  by  the  blessed 


308  NECROLOGY. 


hope  of  the  future,  soon  reproduced  its  living  strength  in  other 
hearts.  Who  of  God's  elect  would  resist  its  silent  sweep  ? 
Who  could  resist  it  ?  Willing  in  that  day  of  power, — the 
distinctive  glory  of  the  covenant,  like  the  Shekinah  of  old, 
enshrined  in  the  inner  sanctuary  of  the  human  will, — hearts 
and  hands  were  willing  then  to  labor  in  the  cause  of  Christ. 
But  from  that  single  soul,  from  its  private  toils  and  public 
efforts,  what  a  power  glided  all  abroad  ! 

And  now  came  the  days  that  long  dwelt  deepest  in  his  rec- 
ollections, and  to  which,  if  disquieted,  and  languid,  and  sad^. 
he  would  turn  for  refreshment  and  joy.  Not  theo,  perchance^ 
did  he  read  all  their  msanings,  but  the  interpretative  light 
of  years  brightening  as  they  approached  the  throne,  shed 
back  its  significance,  and  made  clear  the  mystic  import.  The 
influences  of  the  Holy  Ghost  are  always  supernatural,  and 
they  would  always  be  deemed  miraculous  if  we  understood 
the  laws  of  mind  as  well  as  the  laws  of  matter.  The  real 
superstition  lies  in  their  rejection,  not  in  their  acceptance  ; 
and  here,  as  elsewhere ,  '■'■BUssed  are  tJiey  that  have  not 
seen,  and  yet  have  believed."  The  true  blessedness  is  in  see- 
ing by  believing,  for  thus  the  soul,  conscious  of  its  birth- 
right in  Christ,  asserts  its  supremacy  over  sense,  and  enters 
at  once  upon  the  privileges  of  eternal  life,  by  means  of  the 
life  spiritual. 

Let  this  simple-minded  man  tell  the  story  of  this  beautiful 
portion  of  his  experience: 

"  We  commenced  a  protracted  meeting  in  my  Church  on 
Thursday  before  the  first  Sabbath  in  June,  and  the  first  ser- 
mon was  preached  by  the  Rev.  James  Stratton,  then  of  Ma- 
con, Ga.,  from  Jeremiah  ii:  19.  Every  word  of  that  simple, 
plain  sermon  went  to  my  heart,  and  to  the  hearts  of  many 
others.  It  was  evident  that  God's  spirit  was  among  us.  Af- 
ter brother  S.  sat  down,  I  arose  to  make  a  few  remarks, 
when,  to  my  astonishment  and  to  the  astonishment  of  all  my 
people   who  had  never  witnessed  in  me  anything  like  it,  I 


REV.    NATHAN   HOYT,    D.  D.  309 

could  not  speak  two  minutes,  I  sat  down,  and  the  whole 
house  was  a  Bochim.  Rev.  Dr.  Church  arose  to  speak. 
But  he  could  not  do  much  better  than  I  had.  He  sat  down. 
The  like  had  never^occurred  with  me  before  ;  it  has  never  oc- 
curred since.  The  assembly  was  soon  dismi.^sed,  and  the 
people  and  the  preachers  went  away  to  pray.  At  night, 
the  Rev.  S.  J.  Cassels,  now  in  Heaven,  preached  with  great 
power  and  effect.  The  work  of  God  was  fairly  begun.  .  . 
Our  meetings  were  thronged  night  and  day.  Cases  of  deep 
conviction,  and  of  happy  conversion,  were  occurring  almost 
constantly.  ..  .  Between  thirty  and  forty  were  received 
into  our  Church  and  many  into  the  Baptist  and  Methodist 
Churches.  That  precious  revival  cannot  soon  be  forgotten 
by  any  who  were  priviledged  to  mingle  in  its  solemn  scenes. 
It  was  of  the  Lord's  doings  ;  it  was  marvelous  in  our  eyes, 
and  cheering  to  our  hearts." 

Sufficient  has  probably  already  been  said  to  give  a  gen- 
eral view  of  the  ministry  of  Dr.  Hoyt.  If  an  accurate  sum- 
mation of  the  results  of  that  ministry  could  be  made,  we  think 
it  would  present  a  most  striking  testimony  to  his  evangelical 
power  as  a  preacher,  and  illustrate  most  forcibly  his  re- 
niiirkable  i^ucces?  in  the  work  to  which  he  was  divinely 
called.  But  no  one  can  ever  measure  his  own  usefulness, 
and  it  is  equally  true  that  no  one  can  measure  another's  use- 
fulness. The  rain  falls  and  sinks  into  the  hiding  earth  ;  the 
sunshine,  broadcast  and  free,  scatters  its  munificence  of  light, 
and  heat  far  aad  wide ;  but  oai*  pastures  and  fields  are 
merely  infinitesimal  evidences  of  the  enriching  clouds, 
and  the  benignant  splendors.  Harvests  gathered  are  only 
fragments.  Who  takes  note  of  the  ungathered  abundance 
that  nature,  in  myriad  forms,  appropriates  to  her  life,  and 
strength,  and  beauty?  Not  unlike  this  is  a  good  man's 
usefulness.  Statistics,  reckonings,  palpable  results,  one  and 
all,  they  simply  give  a  vague  hint,  as  to  his  life  and  labors. 


310  NECROLOGY. 


But  they  are  valuable,  since  they  show  how  promises  are 
fulfilled,  fidelity  rewarded,  God  glorified. 

The  last  Sabbath  of  April,  1859,  closed  the  twenty-ninth 
year  of  Dr.  Hoyt's  ministry  in  Athens.  During  that  period 
he  had  preached  some  two  thousand  five  hundred  and  sev- 
enty-five sermons,  made  some  sixteen  hundred  addresses,  at 
prayer  meetings  and  to  other  assemblages,  and  received 
into  the  Athens  Church,  six  hundred  and  eleven  mem- 
bers. Aside  from  this,  his  tours  through  the  country, 
and  visits  to  points  of  interest,  were  frequent,  and  were  gen- 
erally of  signal  service  to  the  Churches.  Instant  in  season 
and  out  of  season — ^^semper  paratus  ;" —  every  call  to  du- 
ty, a  fresh  inspiration  of  joy  ; — every  day  a  new  day  for  new 
eiforts  and  higher  aims  ; — he  never  faltered,  never  flagged,  if 
his  bodily  strength  were  adequate  to  sustain  exertion.  The 
whole  man  was  made  for  work.  With  him,  work  was  no  dull 
and  heavy  obligation,  which  added  weight  to  duties  in  them- 
selves, weighty,  but  an  impulse  that  was  organized  in  bone 
and  muscle,  yet  still  remained  an  impulse.  And  the  worker 
knew  his  sphere,  even  as  the  ant  knows  its  plodding  realm  or 
the  eagle  his  etherial  element ;  and  once  there,  instinct,  and 
intellect,  and  spirit,  all  alike  satisfied,  he  wished  no  other 
bliss  and  sought  no  other  glory. 

But  he  was  now  approaching  the  boundary  that  nature 
sets  to  active  exertion.  One  who  knew  him,  could  see  the 
half-concealed  struggle  between  former  habits  and  present 
disability,  and  could  mark  the  silent  transition  in  an  old 
man's  life  from  energetic  blood  to  the  calmer  pulsations  of 
the  heart.  It  is  usually  in  noble  minds  the  climax  of  experi- 
ence, and  such  it  eminently  was  in  Dr.  Hoyt.  Retreating  as 
it  were  from  the  senses  and  their  disturbing  sensations,  and 
withdrawing  their  restless  functions  from  those  intellectual  and 
moral  faculties,  which  are  most  closely  allied  to  the  physical 
man  and  his  world,  the  spirit  gathers  its  once-distributed 
life  into  itself  and  begins  to  typify  its  final  separation  from 


REV.    NATHAN    IIOYT,  D.  D.  311 

the  material  body.  It  is  life  in  its  completeness,  because  it 
is  death  in  its  inceptiveness.  No  one  could  have  felc  this 
change  more  profoundly  than  Dr.  Hoyt,  and  as  he  yielded  day 
by  day,  to  its  demands,  and  it  av as  easy  to  trace  the  sercner 
submission  and  the  growing  repose  tliat  settled  upon  his  obe- 
dient heart.  Almost  to  the  end  he  kept  at  his  work,  and 
"what  life  he  had,  he  breathed  into  its  ta--ks.  But  it  was  the 
■work  of  a  dying  man,  and  the  eyes  of  all  saw  the  shadow  in 
■which  it  lay  dimmed.  Step  by  step,  the  veteran  of  three  gen- 
erations retired  from  the  open  world  ;  month  b}^  month,  shrink- 
ing closer  within  his  cherished  home  ;  day  by  day,  dwelling 
apart  from  human  interruptions,  in  closeted  stillness  with 
thoughts  of  Jesus  and  of  his  precious  blood,  until  at  last  he 
Stood  alone — face  to  face — with  death.  His  closing  hours 
were  full  of  blessed  visitations  from  above;  and  amid  these 
foretastes  of  fuller  joys,  July  12th,  18G6,  he  fell  asleep  in 
Jusus.  ****** 

The  happy  home  was  now  broken  up  by  the  death  of  the 
patriarch,  whose  benignity  and  social  tenderness  had  so  long 
shed  a  tranquil  grace  over  its  scenes.  The  devoted  wife 
who  in  the  gentle  ministry  of  a  woman's  love  bad  contribu- 
ted so  much  strength  and  support  to  his  active  work,  surviv- 
ed him.  Six  children  had  grown  up  and  gone  forth  into  the 
world,  each  in  his  or  her  respective  sphere, useful  and  honored 
and  happy,  inheriting  the  blessing  of  a  good  man's  name,  and 
cherishing  the  grateful  memory  of  that  example  which  in  the 
daily  offices  of  life,  is  the  surest  and  strongestinflaence  known 
to  the  human  heart.  Two  of  these  had  entered  the  mini^-try  ; 
one  was  a  physician  ;  and  one  was  the  wife  of  a  minister.  In 
the  closing  notes  of  the  auto-biography,  I  finil  this  entry  : 
"(jrod  has  been  very  gracious  to  my  family.  All  my  children 
are  hopefully  pious.  Two  of  my  sons  are  preachers,  and  ray 
youngest  daughter,  Mrs.  M.  J.  Axson  is  the  wife  of  a  promis- 
ising  young  preacher.  Surely  this  is  all  of  grace,  and  to 
God  be  all  the  glory.     I  would  a  thousand  times  rather  see 


312  TTECROLOGY. 


a  son  of  mine  or  a  son-in-law,  in  the  sacred  desk  preaching 
Christ  to  dying  sinners,  than  to  see  him  a  Senator,  or  the 
President  of  theUnited  States."  *  *  * 

The  life  of  Dr.  Hojt,  so  remarkable  in  many  of  its  aspects, 
was  peculiarly  striking  in  its  close  connection  with  all  that 
concerned  the  welfare,  temporal  and  spiritual,  of  his  people. 
Emphatically  were  they  his  people,  bone  of  his  bone,  and 
heart  of  his  heart,  one  life  shared  between  them  so  far  as  the 
diversities  of  human  character  and  the  limits  of  sympathy 
permit  individual  beings  to  blend  together.  Nothing  that  in- 
volved their  present  or  future  happiness  was  foreign  to  him, 
and  in  this  respect,  he  has  often  reminded  me  of  the  portrait- 
ures given  of  NeSf  and  Oberlin.  A  thoroughly  practical  sym- 
pathizer, ho  was  always  ready  to  make  good  his  wise  coun- 
sel by  eifcctive  action.  He  had  the  rare  art  of  helping  others 
precisely  at  the  point  whore  they  needed  help,  and  what  is 
essential  to  a  faithful  pastor,  he  was  master  of  his  sympa- 
thies, never  allo'A-ing  them  to  over-rule  his  deliberate  judg- 
ment and  preserving  him  from  that  common  folly  of  gener- 
ous natures,  which,  in  the  minor  affairs  of  life,  too  often  whis- 
pers :  '■'' Peace,  ivheyi  there  is  no  Peace."  The  spirit  of  the 
old  weeping  Prophet's  tenderness  was  his,  and  his,  too,  the 
high,  cour:igcous,  inflexible  rectitude  that  could  face  a  fel- 
low-man's errors  and  sins,  and  warn  him  of  danger  impending. 
Naturally  he  had,  I  imagine,  somewhat  of  a  despotic  intel- 
lect, a  tendency  to  dogmatize,  a  bold  and  unqompromising 
assertion  of  his  opinions,  that  in  weaker  men  takes  the  form 
of  unreasoning  obstinacy  ;  but  if  this  were  the  fact,  he  had  cer- 
tainly, in  the  years  when  I  knew  him,  obtained  the  victory 
over  the  besetment.  I  know  that  he  was  frank,  unselfish, 
generous  ;  and  I  know,  moreover,  that  he  had  that  supremo 
virtue  of  character  which  can  practice  the  most  painful  sort 
of  self-denial  for  the  sake  of  magnanimity  of  sentiment. 
Along  with  this  trait,  he  had  an  acute  sensitiveness  to  kind- 
ness from  others  that  often  struck  rc.e  as  unusual  in  a  man  of 


REV.   NATHAN   HOYT,  D.  D.  313 

his  natural  independence  and  self-reliance.  A  passing  act 
of  attention  on  the  part  of  a  child,  or  an  inquiry  after  his 
health  by  a  servant,  would  touch  his  feelings.  Little  tokens 
of  respect  and  affection,  which  so  frequently  meet  no  more 
than  a  fugitive  recognition,  seemed  to  enter  within  and  add 
to  his  stock  of  happiness.  Nor  did  he  ever  forget  a  kindness  ; 
and  I  often  had  occasion  to  notice  that  he  excelled,  in  grati- 
tude to  people,  a  quality  of  character  quite  as  rare  as  grati- 
tude to  God.  ****** 

That  Dr.  Hoyt  was  a  man  of  marked  individuality  of  char- 
acter, none  who  knew  him  can  doubt.  That  this  individual- 
ity of  character,  sanctified  and  directed  by  the  spirit  of  God, 
was  the  secret  of  his  strength  and  the  source  of  his  success, 
must  be  as  readily  admitted.  The  foundation  of  this  pecu- 
liar force  lay  in  his  temperament,  which,  in  its  acute  sensi- 
tiveness to  impression,  and  its  eager  tendency  to  demonstra- 
tive action,  played  interchangeably  between  thought  and  sen- 
sation with  a  bouyant  vitality  that  we  have  never  seen  sur- 
passed. So  characteristic  was  this  trait,  that  his  thoughts 
seemed,  at  times,  to  be  sensations,  while  under  some  circum- 
stances, his  intellect,  aroused  to  fullest  stretch  of  energy, 
would  grapple  with  you  as  though  it  were  muscular  might.  A 
moiety  more  of  temperament,  and  perhaps,  he  had  needed  to 
watch  against  romance  and  imaginative  illusions.  Constitu- 
ted as  he  was,  however,  and  disciplined  from  an  early  age  by 
a  dreaded  liabilty  to  ill  health,  he  turned  his  temperament  to 
good  account  in  securing  to  himself  a  facile  effectiveness  in 
public  speaking. 

His  intellect  was  thoroughly  concrete.  Premises  and 
conclusions  lay  near  together — so  near  that  sometimes  they 
were  hardly  separable.  If  he  ever  used  the  stepping-stones 
of  formal  logic,  he  was  certain  to  touch  them  lightly  with  his 
impatient  feet.  Abstractions  were  neither  suited  to  his  taste, 
nor  adapted  to  his  style  of  intellectual  action.  If  he  had  any 
sympathy  with  metaphysics,  it  was  not  with  its  subtle  dia- 


314 


NECROLOGY. 


lectics  nor  yet  with  its  attenuated  arts  of  expression,  but  rath- 
er with  its  skill  in  eliminating  error,  still  more  with  its  trans- 
parent purity,  which,  like  the  ether  above  the  common  atmos- 
phere, affords  a  readier  movement  to  the  waves  of  light. 
Nothing,  therefore,  of  the  essayist  appeared  in  his  mental  ef- 
forts. Nevertheless,  he  was  strong  in  his  grasp  of  all  the  doc- 
trines of  the  gospel — comprehensive  as  well  as  minute — full 
of  masculine  vigor  in  the  width  of  his  perceptions,  while  re- 
flective enough  to  pierce  to  the  heart  of  all  vital  truths.  One 
felt  in  hearing  him,  that  he  was  profounder  as  a  thinker  than 
as  a  speaker.  Before  an  audience,  his  reasoning  power  seem- 
ed to  be  held  in  firm  abeyance.  The  results  of  reasoning, 
the  palpable  facts  deduced,  the  m«ans  of  direct  impression, 
these  were  before  his  eye,  and  nothing  else.  Like  great 
rivers  that  have  their  fountain-heads  in  mountains  remote 
and  hidden,  close  by  overhanging  clouds,  this  order  of  think- 
ers is  abstract  and  exhaustive  in  cloistered  moments ;  and 
as  those  rivers,  when  reaching  the  abodes  of  civilization,  are 
highways  of  commerce  and  scenes  of  busy  usefulness,  so 
these  men  in  their  public  ministration  make  everything  yield 
to  the  practical  significance  of  the  occasion. 

As  would  be  expected  from  such  a  mental  constitution, 
Dr.  Hoyt  confined  himself  in  the  pulpit  to  the  gospel,  as  the 
divine  means  of  salvation.  Without  doubt  he  delighted  to 
penetrate  beyond  its  immediate  aspects.  Had  he  failed  here, 
his  practical  force  would  soon  have  been  exhausted.  The 
philosophy  of  the  gospel  must,  of  necessity,  enter  into  the 
conditions  of  all  deep  and  earnest  investigation.  But  the 
library,  not  the  pulpit,  is  the  place  for  such  an  invigorating 
exercise.  And  hence  the  wisdom  of  Dr.  Hoyt's  course. 
Standing  in  the  presence  of  men,  he  used  such  trains  of 
thought  as  were  adapted  to  men  as  listeners,  not  to  men  as 
logical  students,  or  speculative  philosophers  ;  and,  consequent- 
ly, while  he  formed  himself  as  an  effective  speaker,  he  also 
moulded  his  congregation  to  be  admirable  hearers.     In  this 


REV.    NATHAN   HOYT,    D.    D.  315 

respect,  he  was  a  model  most  worthy  of  imitation.  True  ta 
the  very  letter  of  the  phrase,  he  'preached  the  gospel.  The 
paramount  of  the  idea  always  was  not  to  discuss,  not  to 
elaborate,  not  to  intellectualize  in  any  shape  or  form  that 
might  divert  his  efforts  in  the  direction  of  philosophy  or  art, 
bur,  simply  and  solely  to  preach  the  gospel,  which,  in  his 
mind,  meant  a  specific  manner  of  uttering  the  truth,  as  well 
as  the    truth  itself. 

On  the  one  hand  then.  Dr.  Hoyt  avoided  all  dry,  didactic 
method.  On  the  other,  he  shunned  all  mere  literary  imbel- 
ishment.  Both  the  logical  and  the  sensuous  forms  of  intel- 
lect were  excluded  from  his  public  ministrations.  If,  how- 
ever, as  shown  above,  he  \v;ls  a  deep  and  fervent  thinker,  it  is 
also  true,  that  he  was  not  deficient  in  a  certain  kind  of  imag- 
in  ition,  to  which  much  of  his  success  must  be  attributed.  In 
its  use,  he  was  rarely  found  in  the  province  of  the  poet.  Un- 
like the  imagination  of  Jeremy  Taylor,  it  was  seldom  pictu- 
resque, and  never  gorgeous  ;  it  had  no  tropical  luxuriance  ;  it 
never  sought  to  embower  itself  in  a  Persian  Paradise.  For 
its  own  sake,  it  had  no  charms.  To  revel  in  beauty  or  to  be 
transported  by  sublimity  for  the  mere  joy  of  ecstatic  emotion, 
was  as  foreign  to  his  sense  of  intellectual  congruity  as  to  his 
conscience.  But  that  adjunctive  office  of  this  grand  faculty 
which  aids  the  reason  by  apt  illustrations  and  vivid  enforce- 
ments,— this  he  had  in  an  eminent  degree.  Less  brilliant 
than  the  artistic  imagination ;  much  less  capable  of  those 
sudden  transfigurations  which  lift  speaker  and  hearer  out  of 
themselves  ;  it  is,  nevertheless,  far  more  serviceable  since  it 
allies  itself  more  fully  and  permanently  with  the  moral  sen- 
sibilities. Of  this  nature  was  the  Dr's.  imagination — fresh, 
pungeant,  incisive  — always  on  the  alert,  and  sure  of  its  eclec- 
tic instinct, — full  of  pith  and  point, — appropriating  the  com- 
mon incidents  of  the  day  or  historical  incidents  to  his  pur- 
pose, and  seldom  failing,  thereby,  to  set  his  topic  in  sharper 
relief  before  your  quickened  fancy.     A  little  humor  would 


316  NECROLOGY. 


occasionally  come  to  the  verge  of  utterance,  and  be  instantly 
repressed.  And  sometimes  he  could  be  sarcastic,  but  gener- 
ally when  he  stung,  it  was  like  a  bee — the  thighs  laden  with 
honey.  Once  on  a  memorable  occasion,  he  indulged  in  cutting 
invective,  but  his  heart  soon  revolted  against  the  use  of  such 
weapons,  and  he  abandoned  them  forever.  For  sustained 
vitality  of  sentiment,  word,  manner,  we  have  rarely  seen  his 
equal.  The  dignity  of  dulness  was  heartily  eschewed.  If 
he  ever  tired  you,  it  was  because  he  was  not  himself.  With 
him,  pulpit-life  was  a  perpetual  renewal ;  and  to  the  last, 
his  thoughts  had  a  vascular  force  that  reminded  you  of  youth- 
ful activity.  A  strong  and  shining  blade,  that  warrior's 
hand  ever  held,  and  when  it  dropped,  it  was  neither  dull  nor 
dim. 

Tried  by  the  standard  of  art,  Dr.  Hoyt  could  not  be  regar- 
ed  as  a  polished  orator.  The  graces  of  the  rhetoritician,  he 
esteemed  lightly;  nor  did  he  rely  for  success  in  any  degree 
upon  those  artistic  means  which  some  have  employed  as  an 
au.xiliary  to  higher  results.  His  early  struggles  with  himself 
as  to  "  fine  'preaching''  were  nt-ver  forgotten,  and  it  is  quite 
likely  that  the  rebound  was  rather  too  strong  in  the  other  di- 
rection. Whether  so  or  not,  he  deserves  praise  for  strict  ad- 
herence to  his  convictions,  nor  can  we  appreciate  too  highly  the 
Sternly  critical  spirit  that  made  him  so  watchful  over  the  least 
tendency  to  self-gratification  in  his  discourses.  One  could  easi- 
ly see.  that  he  had  much  more  expressional  power  than  he  saw 
fit  to  exert.  His  manner  was  naturally  inclined  to  acting. 
Had  he  chosen,  he  could  certainly  have  been  a  more  effective 
speaker,  as  the  world  judges  effectiveness.  But  he  restrain- 
ed, himself,  and  we  think,  most  wisely  ;  for  this  self-restraint, 
as  is  unusually  the  case,  developed  other  and  higher  forms  of 
power.  In  his  style  of  preaching,  he  attained  a  marked  de- 
gree of  excellence.  Whatever  subject  he  treated,  he  was 
sure  to  vitalize  it  with  his  personal  being,  so  that  it  seemed 
born  of  his  private  heart.     His  mind,  like  a  dramatist,  mov- 


REV.   NATHAN   HOYT,   D.  D.  317 

ed  his  theme  forward  to  its  conclusions,  and  moved  it  too 
with  an  energy,  with  a  pliant  skill,  with  a  concentrated  ea- 
gerness that  gathered  at  every  advance  upon  your  interest. 
At  times,  his  style  was  involved.  The  unconscious  parenthe- 
sis would  frequently  appear,  and  at  the  next  instant,a  sudden 
off-shoot  frcm  the  main  line  of  discussion  would  disturb  your 
consecutiveness  of  thought.  In  all,  however,  there  was  move- 
ment ;  and  if  it  was  somewhat  irregular  for  the  mo- 
menc,  you  were  sure  to  be  carried  on  to  the  final  impression. 
This  was  mainly  due  to  the  directness  and  vigor  with  which 
he  threw  his  whole  mind  upon  you,  and  accordingly,  his 
thoughts,  in  the  manner  of  handling,  reminded  you  of  pro- 
jectiles that  were  aimed  at  a  given  effect.  His  will — the 
truthful  test  of  all  oratory  — was  very  apparent  in  his  efforts. 
Determined  on  his  purpose,  and  indifferent  to  side  results, 
he  was  so  thoroughly  aggressive  that  you  had  either  to  re- 
sign your  strongholds,  or  shut  upyourself  more  closely  within 
your  prison-walls. 

But  the  real  power  of  this  noble  man  lay  deeper  than  the 
structure  of  intellect  and  the  emotional  constitution.  The 
finely-wrought  sensibility  that  under  the  slightest  touch  went 
quivering  to  the  brain — the  acute  senses  that  lodged  the 
soul  all  too  closely  to  the  world  external  — and  then,  too, 
such  a  temperament  as  is  found  only  in  men  of  genius  either 
dormant  or  developed  ; — all  these  were  organized  in  the  outer 
man,  and  all  these  acted  powerfully  upon  the  man  within. 
But  those  other  attributes  which  are  counterparts  to  the 
merely  physical  and  intellectual, — the  sublimer  qualities 
that  organize  the  spirit  towards  God  and  Christ,  as  those  just 
named,  embody  the  soul  towards  nature  and  life, — surely  we 
must  look  to  them  to  find  the  height,  depth,  scope,  and 
rounded  completeness  of  his  character. 

It  sounds  like  a  commonplace  truism  to  say,  that  Dr. 
Hoyt  realized  the  doctrines  which  he  believed  and  preached. 
But  when  we  use  the  word  "  realized,"  we  mean  somewhat  more 


818  NECROLOGY. 


than  its  currant  acceptation  implies.  All  Christians  realize  reli- 
gion,— religion  that  is  a  reality  to  their  judgments  to  their 
consciences,  to  their  hearts.  But  to  what  extent?  A  difference 
in  degree  is  sometimes  equivalent  to  a  difference  in  kind,  and 
never  is  this  fact  more  significant  than  in  applications  to 
spiritual  experience.  The  scriptural  idea  which  we  seek  to 
embody  in  the  term  '■^realize"  is  peculiarly  emphasized  by 
the  New  Testament  writers,  and  by  none  so  forcibly  as  by  St. 
Paul  and  St.  John.  To  convey  this  idea,  they  borrow  the 
language  of  the  senses.  Such  phrases  as  walking  by  faith, — 
enduring  as  seeing  him  who  is  invisible, — -"which  we  have 
looked  upon  and  our  hands  have  handled," — must  be  designed 
to  show  that  experimental  piety  affects  the  heart,  as  outward 
objects  affect  the  senses.  Men  there  are  who  realize  the 
God  of  the  conscience  through  the  conscience  ;  men  there  are 
who  realize  the  God  of  beauty  through  the  imaginative  aspects 
of  Christianity ;  while  another  class  realize  the  God  of  ten- 
derness through  the  emotions.  A  dwarfish  one-sidedness  is 
the  result, — a  Christian  life  that  reduces  itself  to  a  particu- 
lar function  of  the  mind, — while  the  rarest  of  things  is  to  wit- 
ness and  experience,  in  which  all  elements  coalese  in  harmo- 
ny and  strength. 

Certain  constituents  of  Dr.  Hoyt'&  mind  gave  a  most  vig- 
©rous  vitality  to  his  religious  life.  Towards  those  grander 
truths  that  inspire  awe,  solemnity,  reverence,  his  nature  was 
broadly  open,  while  as  a  counterbalancing  energy,  his  sensi- 
bilities to  love  and  tenderness  were  intensely  operative.  No 
keen  observer  could  fail  to  mark  the  ceaseless  interplay  of 
thought  and  sentiment  between  these  two  parts  of  his  organ- 
ization. As  they  alternated,  you  wonld  see  him  sternly  true, 
or  touchingly  gentle  ;  and  when  at  last  through  years  or 
struggle,  they  came  together  in  perfect  reconciliation,  it  was 
beautiful  to  see  the  more  majestic  attributes  of  mind  dwelling 
side  by  side  with  those  kindlier  and  more  lovely  virtues, 
through  which  Heaven  is  symbolized  to  the  pure  in  heart. 


REV.    NATHAN   HOYT,    D.    D.  319 

Age  brought  him  its  large  blessings.  The  great  work  that 
Time  does  for  a  Christian  soul,  as  it  does  for  a  noble  oak,  when 
it  fills  its  huge  arms  with  brawny  strength,  and  covers  them  all 
over  with  richest  foliage,  this  greatest  of  earthly  work,  was  hap- 
pily accomplished  in  him.  How  well  I  remember  these  clos- 
ing years.  The  gradual  mellowing, — how  complete  at  last ! 
I  recall  his  piercing  insight,  his  deepening  sense  of  reconcili- 
ation with  stubborn  circumstances,  his  growing  content,  his 
enlarging  charity,  his  widening  love  to  God  and  man  ;  and 
among  the  instances  of  beautiful  age  that  are  present  with 
me,  I  recollect  not  one  that  impresses  me  like  this. 
"  Tei  to  the  last,  tlwu  wast  a  King." 

The  old  hero  at  seventy  was  still  "  girded  ivith  strength^' 
in  the  ^^  inner  man,"  and  it  was  ^^  renewed  day  hy  day." 
The  work  of  his  hands  was  established,  and  the  beauty  of  the 
Lord  rested  upon  him.  "  The  glory  that  excelleth"  crowned 
his  three-score  years  and  ten,  and  when  it  faded,  it  faded  in 
the  light  of  Christ's  immediate  presence. 

In  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Athens,  Ga.,  a  beautiful 
mural  tablet  has  been  erected,  bearing  this  inscription: 

IN    MEMORIAM. 


Ret.  Nathan  Hott,  D.  D. 

Born  in  Gilmanton,  N.  H.,  Feb.  27,  1793. 

Became  Pastor  of  tliis  Church,  May  1,  1830. 

Died  in  its  Ser\ice,  July  13,  1866. 

VALIANT  FOK  GOKPEL  TRUTH ; 

THE   PIOUS  LIVES  AND   TRIUPHANT   DEATHS 

OP  MANY  WHO  ENJOYED  HIS 

MINISTRY, 
PROVED   HIS  FAITITPULNESS. 

Believing;  Hoping;  Loving;  "Working; 

He  scrvccl  two  Generations  by  the  will  of  God; 

Then  fell  asleep  in  Jesus. 


REV.  WASHINGTOJS'  BAIRD  * 


Washington  Baird,  was  the  son  of  pious  parents,  born  in 
Fayette  County,  Pennsylvania,  about  the  year  1807.  In 
very  early  childhood,  he  removed  with  his  parents  to  the 
neighborhood  of  Maysville,  Kentucky,  Here  he  spent  his 
youth,  and  here  he  was  prepared  for  College.  He  then  re- 
turned to  Pennsylvania  and  entered  Jefferson  College,  and 
graduated  with  good  standing  for  scholarship  in  the  year 
1831.  In  1832,  he  came  from  Kentucky  to  Milledgeville,  Ga. 
Soon  after  his  arrival,  he  visited  the  printing-office  of  Hon. 
Seaton  Grantland,  in  order  to  advertise  for  a  school.  Mr. 
Grantland  informed  him  that  he  was  then  in  n<?ed  of  a  teach- 
er in  his  family.  After  a  short  consultation,  Mr.  Baird  was 
employed  as  a  family  tutor,  by  Mr,  Grantland,  and  a  friend- 
ship was  formed  between  these  parties  which  grew  stronger 
and  stronger  on  a  more  intimate  acquaintance,  and  has  been 
perpetuated  to  a  second  and  third  generation  of  the  Grant- 
land  family.  The  family  school  expanded  into  a  neighbor- 
hood school,  at  Woodville,  in  the  vicinity  of  Milledge- 
ville. 

Here  Mr.  Baird  continued  a  few  years,  until  his  reputation, 
as  an  able  teacher,  brought  him  an  invitation  to  a  large  and 
flourishing  Institution,  the  Chatham  Academy,  located  in  Sa- 

*.  The  Editor  of  this  work  is  indebted  to  the  Rev.  .John  Jones,  of  Grif- 
fin, for  the  following  memorial,  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Baird,  cora.jled  from 
his  funeral  sermon,  preached  at  Philadelphia  Church  on  the  15ih  Aug. 
1868.  Although  it  was  our  intention  to  include  only  the  biographies  of 
ministers  who  had  died  within  the  first  twenty  years  alter  the  organiz;;- 
tion  of  the  Synod  of  Georgia ;  yet  the  publication  having  beeu  so  long 
delayed,  and  others  having  fallen  during  the  interim,  he  has  ventured 
to  insert  the  memorials  of  as  many  such  as  he  could  obtain,  believing 
it  would  be  gratifying  to  their  friends  and  the  Church,  to  give  them 
this  permanent  form. 

330 


REV.    WASHINGTON   BAIRD.  321 

vannah,  Ga.  He  accepted  this  call,  and  remained  a  number 
of  jears  in  Savannah. 

Here  he  commenced  the  study  of  Theology,  having  doubt- 
less had  the  ministry  in  view  for  many  years.  He  put  him- 
self under  the  care  of  Charleston  Presbytery.  In  connection 
with  his  school  duties,  he  prosecuted  his  sacred  studies,  receiv- 
ing advice  and  direction  from  the  Rev.  Willard  Preston,  pastor 
of  the  Independent  Presbyterian  Church  of  Savannah.  After 
due  preparation,  he  was  licensed  by  the  Charleston  Presby- 
tery to  preach  the  gospel.  Having  been  called,  he  removed 
to  Waynseville,  Ga.,  taking  charge  of  Waynesville  and  Linton 
Grove  Churches.  In  this  position  he  remained  several  years, 
laboring  in  a  large  territory,  until  called  to  the  pastoral  care 
of  the  St.  Mary's  Church,  Ga.,  about  the  year  1840. 

At  St.  Mary's,  Mr.  Baird  conducted  a  flourishing  school  in 
addition  to  his  ministerial  duties  ;  besides,  he  repeatedly  vis- 
ited East  Florida,  doing  missionary  work.  He  organized 
the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Jacksonville. 

In  1847,  having  been  chosen  by  the  Synod  of  Georgia  for 
that  purpose,  he  removed  to  MiUedgeville,  Ga.,  and  established 
the  Southern  Presbyterian,  and  was  its  able  editor  for  many 
years,  both  in  Georgia,  and  after  its  transfer  to  Charleston, 
S.  C.  From  the  editorial  chair  he  retired  as  Ajrent  of  the 
Presbyterian  Board  of  Publication. 

July  1st,  1855,  he  took  charge  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
of  Spartanburg,  S.  C.  From  thence  he  was  called  to  the 
care  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Camden,  Arkansas,  Sep- 
tember 26th,  1859. 

In  1863,  he  was  sent  as  a  Commissioner  to  the  Confederate 
General  Assembly,  which  m'et  in  Columbia  S.  C.  He  lin- 
gered after  the  Assembly  adjourned,  probably  with  his  old 
friends  in  Spartanburg,  for  some  weeks.  In  the  meantime, 
Vicksburg  fell  into  the  possession  of  the  Federal  troops.  The 
connection  between  the  East  and  West  was  destroyed,  and 

he  was  unable  to  return  to  Arkansas,  Beinff  without  charge. 
21  5  =  . 


322  NECROLOGY. 


and  \Yithout  homo,  he  returned  to  his  old  friend,  Mr.  Seaton 
Grantland,  who  gave  him  a  refuge  and  a  kindly  ■welcome. 
Thus,  after  a  lapse  of  thirty  years,  he  returned  so  his  first 
home  made  in  Georgia,  and  experienced  the  friendship  of  his 
noble  old  friend,  on  whose  heart,  time  and  increasino;  veara 
had  wrought  no  decay.  While  at  Mr.  Grantlands,  his  active 
mind  was  employed  in  preparing  Elementary  Confederate 
School  Books,  and  in  teaching  the  grandchildren  of  Mr.  G. 

In  the  spring  of  1866,  Mr.  B.  came  to  Griffin,  and  for  a 
year,  was  employed  as  tutor  in  the  family  of  Mrs.  David  J. 
Bailey,  a  daughter  of  his  old  friend,  Col.  Seaton  Gi'antland. 
He  soon  became  interested  in  neigboring  destitute  Churches 
of  Butts  ami  Clayton  counties  ;  and  in  the  spring  of  1867, 
he  located  in  the  bosom  of  Philadelphia  congregation,  as  the 
center  of  his  operations  ;  and  in  the  month  of  October,  1867, 
at  Atlanta,  the  Presbytery  of  Atlanta  employed  him  as  a 
Missionary  to  labor  in  the  counties  of  Butts,  Henry,  Clayton 
and  Carroll.  Into  this  large  and  laborious  field  he  entered,  and 
continued  w^ith  all  the  life,  and  hopeful  elasticity  of  a 
young  man  in  the  morning  of  his  ministry  :  and  he  labored 
above  his  strength,  preaching  up  to  the  last  Sabbath  of  his 
life — literally  enduring  hardness  as  a  good  soldier  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ :  and,  finally,  fell  in  the  harness  with  his 
face  to  the  field,  and  passed  from  the  bosom  of  his  friends 
on  earth  to  the  bosom  of  his  Father  in  Heaven. 

We  give  the  following  letter  from  Mr.  Andrew  L.  Huie, 
an  Elder  of  Philadelphia  Church,    referring  to  his    sickness 
and  death : 

"Clayton  County,  Ga.,  July  26,  1868, 

Rev.  J.  J. — Dear  Sir'. — We  have  just  committed  to  their 
final  resting  place  the  mortal  remains  of  the  Rev.  Washington 
Baird.  He  departed  this  life  yesterday  at  12  m.  He  had  been 
complaining  for  six  weeks.  He  was  taken  with  hoarseness,  at- 
tended with  fever.  He  continued,  notwithstanding,  to  la- 
bor in  L  .ssuntly  througho-ut  his  wide  field,  embracing  Henry, 


REV.    WASHINGTON   BAIRD.  323 

Butts,  Clayton  and  Carroll  Counties.  He  returned  from  Car- 
roll on  Friday  night,  the  17th  instant,  very  much  exhausted, 
but  disposed  to  attribute  it  to  the  extremely  hot  weather,  and 
the  fatigue  undergone  during  the  trip  to  Carroll  and  back. 
Nothwithstanding  his  weakness,  he  would  fill  his  appoint- 
ment at  our  Church  on  last  Sabbath,  19tli  instfnt.  He 
preached  a  short  but  exceedingly  interesting  sermon  from  the 
text:  "  Thy  kingdom  come  thy  will  be  done  on  earth,  as  it  is 
done  in  heaven. 

I  visited  him  on  Monday,  and  found  him  feeble,  but  not 
disposed  to  complain.  He  remarked  however  that  his  end 
was  close  at  hand.  On  Tuesday,  Dr.  McKown  was  called  to 
see  him,  and  found  him  in  a  critical  condition.  He  began  to 
decline  rapidly.  On  Friday  morning,  the  24th,  he  again  spoke 
of  his  end,  and  said  he  had  been  looking  for  it  for  the  last 
three  months.  On  Friday  evening  he  said  he  would  pass 
through  the  night,  but  not  through  the  coming  day.  On  Sat- 
urday, the  25th,  a  few  hours  before  his  death,  and  evidently 
dying,  he  was  asked  how  he  felt.  He  replied  'that  he  felt 
that  he  was  passing  from  the  bosom  of  his  friends  on  earth  to 
the  bosom  of  his  Father  in  Heaven.  When  asked  how  he 
found  the  passage,  he  answered,  "Pleasant,  glorious]"  He 
continued  gradually  to  sink,  until  12  o'clock  M.,  when  he 
gently  breathed  his  last. 

Although  he  suffered  greatly  during  the  short  time  he  was 
confined,  he  bore  his  sufferings  with  remarkable  patience.  He 
died  at  Mr.  Alexander  L.  Huie's,  which  has  been  his  home 
during  his  sojourn  with  us. 

Mr.  Baird,  had  greatly  endeared  himself  to  this  entire 
community." 

Such  is  a  short  outline  of  his  life,  labors  and  death. 

Let  U3  dwell  briefly  upon  his  mental  and  moral  traits  : 
First,  he  was  remarkable  for  an  earnest,  life-long  devotion  to 
God  his  Saviour.  From  early  youth  he  gave  himself  to  Christ, 
and  never  wavered  in  his  Christian  walk.     His  piety  was  un- 


324  NfiCROLOGY. 


ostentatious ;  he  made  no  loud  demonstrations  ;  he  contin- 
ued on  the  even  tenor  of  his  way ;  his  faith  in  Christ  was  sim- 
ple and  child-like,  and  comforting  and  supporting.  He  was  a 
godly  man  :  the  Master  had  chosen  and  loved  him,  and  he 
loved  the  Master,  and  His  kingdom  and  His  people,  and  the 
work  of  the  Master  was  his  chief  delight. 
There  was  a"  mellowness  of  Christian  character  as  he  advanc- 
ed in  years  ;  his  path  was  the  path  of  the  just  that  shineth 
more  and  more  unto  the  perfect  day  ;  his  peace  was  as  a  riv- 
er, and  his  righteousness  as  the  waves  of  the  sea.  Such  was 
his  piety — uniform,  simple,  grateful,  comforting,  increasing, 
abounding. 

Second,  his  mind  was  vigorous,  independent,  simple  and 
direct.  He  was  an  able  expounder  of  God's  word,  and 
thoroughly  evangelical  in  doctrine,  holding  fast  the  form  of 
sound  words.  He  was  a  clear  reasoner,  a  ready  writer,  a 
wise  counsellor,  and  a  strong  debater  in  our  ecclesiastical 
courts.  In  1841,  at  the  Synod  in  Charleston,  he  was  ap- 
pointed the  chief  advocate  in  a  difficult  case  of  appeal,  and 
sustained  the  appeal,  although  opposed  by  some  of  the  ablest 
members  of  the  United  Synod  of  South  Carolina  and  Georgia. 
He  was  a  man  of  remarkable  intelligence  on  all  subjects — 
keeping  abreast  of  the  advancing  improvements  in  arts  and 
sciences.  Nothing  escaped  him.  He  was  alive  to  every 
subject  of  interest  in  Church  and  State.  He  was  well  versed 
in  the  dead  languages,  and  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the 
natural  sciences.  He  was  a  superior  teacher,  because  he  united 
with  literary  attainments,  a  remarkable  interest  in  youth — 
great  sympathy  for  them,  and  an  untiring  patience  in  in- 
structing them.  His  mind  was  eminently  analogical  and 
didactic.  He  possessed,  in  a  rare  degree,  the  faculty  of  sim- 
plifying, and  illustrating  his  thoughts.  His  love  for  children 
was  wonderful !  No  child  ever  passed  him  without  a  smile, 
a  kind  look,  and  a  word  of  instruction  and  encourgement.  He 
was  a  man  of  true  decision  of  character.     He  avoided  hasty 


REV.    WASHINGTON   BAIRD.  325 

inferences,  and  examined  with  care  all  questions  of  duty 
and  discussion.  Having  reached  a  conclusion,  he  remained 
firm.  This  was  eminently  true  in  regard  to  theological  issues. 
He  was  not  carried  about  by  every  wind  of  doctrine. 

In  the  ecclesiastical  revolutions  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
which  occurred  in  1837,  he  was  as  firm  as  a  rock — accept- 
ing and  maintaining  the  positions  of  the  Old  School  Party. 
He  was  a  man  of  energy  ;  he  loved  work,  and  industry  was  a 
natural  necessity  with  him.  It  may  be  said  of  him,  as  of 
Richard  Baxter,  "  He  loved  to  labor"  and  labor  was  his  life. 
But  he  loved  such  work  as  was  practical  and  efficient  for  the 
temporal  and  spiritual  well-being  of  mankind.  His  little  book, 
"  Duty  and  Reward,"  is  a  true  exponent  of  his  mind  and 
heart.  Brother  Baird  was  truly  a  self-sacrificing  man, 
strangely  indiiferent  to  personal  ease  and  comfort — ever 
averse  to  giving  trouble  to  any  one.  He  accommodated  him- 
self to  circumstances,  and  was  equally  at  home  in  the  fam- 
ilies of  rich  or  poor.  He  was  singularly  free  of  the  sin  of 
covetousness.  He  was  generous  to  a  fault.  Indeed  he  erred 
in  his  indifference  to  worldly  possessions,  and  just  dues  for 
his  ministerial  labors.  Because  of  this  indifference,  he  lived 
and  died  under  pecuniary  embarrassments.  He  was  a  true 
friend,  and  never  forgot  a  friend  or  favor.  He  was  forgiving 
to  those  who  injured  him,  and  patient  under  provocations. 
He  admired  all  that  was  noble  in  others,  and  enjoyed  and 
praised  the  performances  of  his  brethren.  He  never  indulged 
in  a  detracting  or  censorious  spirit.  He  was  uniformly 
cheerful,  sometimes  facetious  and  playful,  indulging  in  inno- 
cent, dry  humor,  but  never  in  sarcasm.  He  was  always  hope- 
ful in  the  darkest  hours.  He  was  eminently  patriotic !  He 
loved  the  South,  in  all  her  interests,  and  delighted  in  expa- 
tiating on  her  undeveloped  resources,  and  her  glorious  pros- 
pects. And  he  loved  the  whole  country.  He  was  devoted  to 
the  public  good,  especially  to  the  religious  and  literary  ele- 
vation of  the  young.     Finally  he  was  above  the  fear  or  favor 


326  NECROLOGY. 


of  man,  in  the  performance  of  duty.  ^  Like  John  Knox, 
he  feared  not  the  face  of  clay!  As  a  man,  a  minister,  an 
editor,  he  did  his  duty  fearlessly  and  faithfully,  looking  for 
the  approbation  of  God  and  his  own  conscience. 

Such  was  Washington  Baird-^a  plain  man,  a  wise  man,  a 
good  man. 

"We  close  this  brief  tribute  to  his  memory  with  an  extract 
from  his  memorial  sermon  by  Rev.  Mr.  Jones.  He  observes  ; 
''  It  is  an  honest  estimate  of  his  religious,  moral,  and  intel- 
lectual worth.  The  fact  that  our  earthly  communion  has  finally 
closed,  awakens  emotions  of  unfeigned  sadness  !  Bat  we  will 
think  of  him  as  having  entered  his  everlasting  rest  and  rec- 
call  his  example  for  our  improvement  and  encouragement. 
Let  us  therefore  be  admonished  to  prepare  for  our  own 
end.  How  uncertain  is  life.  A  few  weeks  since,  and  the 
prospects  of  our  brother  for  long  life,were  better  than  those 
of  many  vt^ho  survive  him.  What  is  life  ?  It  is  a  vapor  that 
appeareth  for  a  little  while  and  vanisheth  away. 

Let  this  Church  ever  cherish  the  memory  of  their  minister. 
You  have  lost  a  kind  friend,  a  faithful  shepherd.  He  loved 
you  all  with  great  tenderness.  You  will  never,  probably,  find 
one  so  perfectly  suited  to  this  field,  and  so  much  at  homo 
among  you  all.  Cherish  his  memory  !  He  was  a  lone  man 
in  the  world.  He  leaves  neither  widow  nor  orphan  to  per- 
petuate his  name  and  to  bedew  his  grave  with  their  tears — 
the  Church  was  his  family.  His  dust  is  in  your  keeping.  You 
have  laid  him  to  rest  amidst  your  native  hills,  and  he  sleeps 
with  your  fathers  and  your  children,  in  the  bosom  of  five  gen- 
erations of  your  own  beloved  kindred  !  He  will  come  no  more 
into  this  sacred  desk !  His  active  form  will  move  no  more 
in  your  midst!  You  will  look  no  more  upon  his  kind  face  ! 
You  will  listen  no  more  to  his  gentle  words,  and  stirring  ad- 
monitions !  He  has  gone  to  render  an  account  of  his  steward- 
ship !     He  has  entered  into  his  rest  !" 


REV.  ISAAC  WATTS  WADDEL. 


Isaac  Watts  Waddel,  second  son  of  the  Rev.  Moses 
Waddel,  D.  D.,  and  Elizabeth  Woodson  Waddel,  was  born  at 
Willington,  Abbeville  District,  South  Carolina,  on  the  11th 
of  July,  1804.  He  was  "brought  up"  by  his  Christian  pa. 
rents  in  the  strictness  which  old-time  Presbyterianism  imposed. 
He  was  early  taught  the  great  doctrinal  truths  of  our  holy 
religon,  as  contained  in  our  symbols  of  faith.  This  ren- 
dered him  in  after  life  a  sound  Theologian.  He  was  pre- 
pared for  college,  principally,  by  his  cousin,  Moses  W.  Dob- 
bins, a  most  accomplished  clasical  scholar,  and  by  his  elder 
brother,  James  P.  Waddel,  for  many  years  Professor  of  the 
Latin  and  Greek  Languages  in  the  University  of  Georgia. 

Mr.  Waddel  was  of  Irish  descent.  His  ancestors  emigrated 
from  the  neighborhood  of  Belfast,  about  1760,  and  settled 
in  North  Carolina.  The  family,  as  far  back  as  is  known, 
was  Presbyterians  of  the  purest  type. 

His  father  was  called  to  the  Presidency  of  Franklin  Col- 
lege, at  Athens,  Georgia,  and  in  May,  1819,  entered  on 
the  duties  of  his  office.  Isaac  Watts,  with  his  younger 
brother,  William  Woodward  Waddel,  entered  in  the  Fresh- 
man Class,  and  graduated  in  August,  1823.  He  was  a  good 
scholar. 

After  the  completion  of  his  college  course,  his  father,  in- 
dulging his  passion  for  the  life  of  a  planter,  removed  him  to 
the  old  homestead,  in  South  Carolina.  Here  he  entered 
upon  the  duties  of  rural  life,  superintending  the  cultivation 
of  his  paternal  acres.  What  success  attended  his  labors  in 
this  sphere  of  action,  we  know  not.  But,  having  given  the  ex- 
periment a  fair  trial,  we  find  him  in  1827-'28,  entering  upon 
the  study  of  a  profession.     We  judge  that  he  did  not  find 

337 


328  NECROLOGY. 


the  cultivaton  of  cotton  and  corn  to  be  in  exact  accordance 
with  his  tastes,  and  he,  therefore,  left  his  broad  acres  to  take 
care  of  themselves,  ■while  he  went  to  consult  Blackstone,  and 
delve  in  other  legal  lore.  He  entered  the  law  oflSce  of  the 
Hon,  Augustine  S.  Clayton,  of  Athens. 

Where  and  when  he  made  a  public  profession  of  his  faith  in 
Christ,  we  know  not.  It  was  probably  while  he  resided  at 
Willington,  as  early  as  1827.  He  was,  doubtless,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Church  when  he  entered  upon  the  study  of  the 
law.  He  remained  but  a  short  time  in  the  law  office.  God 
had  other  purposes, — he  was  soon  called  to  consider  his  duty 
toward  his  fellow-men,  and  to  examine  the  question  of  be- 
coming a  minister  of  the  Gospel.  Whether  self-suggested 
or  from  outer  influences,  he  resolved  on  the  study  of  Theology. 

He  forthwith  commenced  the  study  under  the  care  of  the 
Rev.  Thomas  Goulding,  D.  D.,  then  of  Lexington,  Ga.,  af- 
terwards Professor  of  Church  History  and  Polity  in  the 
Theological  Seminary  at  Columbia,  S.  C.  He  was  taken 
under  the  care  of  Hopewell  Presbytery,  at  their  Sessions  in 
Augusta,  December  6th,  1828,  and  was  licensed  at  Greens- 
boro', August  8th,  1830.  He  was  ordained  at  Gainsville, 
Hall  County,  as  an  Evangelist,  in  May,  1832.  He  labored 
as  a  Domestic  Missionary  in  the  west  of  the  State  for  some 
time,  with  great  acceptance.  His  memory  is  cherished  by 
many  in  the  western  counties,  till  the  present  day. 

In  September,  1831,  he  married  Miss  Sarah  K.  Daniel 
daughter  of  James  K.  Daniel,  Esq.,  of  Greene  county,  Ga. 
He  afterwards  removed  to  Willington,  S.  C,  where  his  fa- 
ther then  resided.  During  his  residence  at  Willington,  he 
preached  in  the  churches  of  Hopewell  and  Lebanon,  Abbe- 
ville, S.  C.  In  the  year  183 — ,  he  purchased  a  farm  in 
Walker  county,  Ga.,  whither  he  removed  his  family ;  but, 
that  region  (being  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  mountains) 
proving  too  bleak  for  the  delicate  constitution  of  his  family, 
he  bought  a  plantation  in  Sumpter  county,  Alabama,  whither 


REV.    ISAAC   WATTS    WADDELL.  329 

he  removed.  This  was  a  disastrous  change  of  location. 
Here  he  lost,  by  death,  a  lovely  little  daughter,  and  several 
slaves.  He  afterwards  hired  a  house  in  Demopolis,  Ala., 
where  he  lived  for  a  short  time  ;  but,  finally  disheartened  by 
his  misfortunes,  he  returned  to  Georgia.  He  afterwards 
received  a  call  to  the  Church  at  Marrietta,  Ga.,  Avhere,  after 
a  few  years,  he  terminated  his  unpretending,  unobtrusive, 
but  his  quietly  useful  life,  of  a  lingering  chronic  complaint, 
on  the  1st  day  of  November,  1849,  in  the  45th  year  of  his 
age,  and  the  19th,  of  his  ministry. 

Mr.  Waddel  was  a  man  of  a  very  quiet  temperament,  and 
aptly  fulfilled  the  obligations  of  husband,  father,  and  mas- 
ter. His  was  not  a  marked  literary  turn,  although  he  was 
an  accurate  scholar.  He  conciliated  the  love,  and  afi"ection, 
and  confidence  of  all  who  were  intimate  with  him,  by  the 
generally  straight-forward  view  of  things,  which  character- 
ized his  course.     To  all  he  was  kind,  aff'able,  and  afiectionate. 

As  a  minister  of  the  gospel,  he  was  generally  acceptable  to 
the  plain  people  whom  he  served.  His  sermons,  not  being 
written,  were  plain  and  without  ornament,  and,  perhaps,  on 
that  account,  more  useful  to  those  to  whom  they  were  ad- 
dressed. 

To  crown  all,  his  personal  piety  was  never  impugned,  how- 
ever, he  might  be  thought  to  lack  "  Unction,"  in  his  outward 
demonstrations. 

Eight  children  were  born  to  him,  of  whom  five  attained 
maturity.  His  eldest  son  graduated  at  the  University  of 
Georgia  in  1853,  with  much  credit.  He  studied  law,  and 
was  taken  into  the  co-partnership  by  Col.  Chislom,  of  Cedar 
Town,  Polk  county,  where  his  ambitious  industry  and  per- 
severance soon  brought  him  into  public  notice.  At  the  ear- 
liest period  of  the  late  Confederate  War,  he  joined  the 
army,  where  he  soon  rose  to  the  office  of  Colonel  of  the  20th 
Georgia  Regiment.  Eliza,  his  eldest  daughter,  became  the 
wife  of  Dr.  Setze,  of  Marietta.     Mary,  his  second  daughter, 


330  NECROLOGY. 


resides  in  Cherokee  county.  John  left  College  for  the  army 
and  was  twice  wounded  during  the  war.  Isaac  Watts,  the 
youngest  son,  resides  with  some  of  the  family. 

Mrs.  Waddel,  after  the  death  of  her  husband,  removed  to 
Greensboro',  Ga.,  where  she  died  in  December,  1863, 


RE\.  PETER  WINX* 


Peter  Winn  was  born  in  Liberty  county,  Georgia,   on 

the day  of ,  in  the  year  1816.     He  was  the  son 

of  Maj.  John  and  Mrs.  Eliza  Winn — pious,  intelligent,  and 
respectable  parents, — who,  in  accordance  with  the  usages  of 
the  Congregational  Church,  dedicated  him  in  infancy  to  the 
service  of  thg  Lord.  His  father  was  the  descendant  of  a 
long  lineage  of  pious  ancestors  ;  a  graduate  of  Yale  College, 
and  a  lawyer  by  profession  ;  but  spent  many  years  of  the 
latter  part  of  his  life  in  instructing  the  youth  of  Liberty 
county.  It  was  his  earnest  desire  to  have  all  his  children 
well  educated,  that  they  might  be  fitted  for  stations  of  use- 
fulness and  respectability  in  life.  But  he  did  not  live  to  see 
his  wishes  accomplished ;  he  died  when  Peter  was  a  little 
over  four  years  old,  and  the  responsibility  of  his  training 
and  education,  and  that  of  six  other  children,  was  thrown 
upon  their  mother,  who,  through  Divine  Grace,  was  well 
qualified  for  so  responsible  a  position. 

Mrs.  Eliza  Winn,  the  mother,  and,  to  a  great  extent,  the 
moral  educator  of  Rev.  Peter  Winn,  was  a  woman  long 
known  and  much  noted  in  that  part  of  the  country  for  her 
ardent  piety,  her  wisdom,  prudence,  humility,  zeal  and  en- 
ergy. Her  children  are  all  ready  to  bear  testimony  to  her 
faithfulness  in  endeavoring  to  train  them  up  "  in  the  nurture 
and  admonition  of  the  Lord."  The  Bible  and  the  Catechisms 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  were  the  chief  text  books  used 
for  the  moral  culture  of  the  household.  The  good  old  prac- 
tice of  assembling  all  the  family  together  on  the  evening  of 
the  Sabbath,  and  hearing  them  recite  the  Shorter  Catechism 
of  our  Confession  of  Faith,  was  common  with  her  through  the 

*MSS  from  Rev.  T.  Siuaner  Winn. 

331 


332  NECKOLOGT. 


greater  part  of  her  life.  She  ever  taught  "that  wisdom  is 
better  that  gold ;"  and  it  was  her  earnest  desire,  her  constant 
prayer,  and  most  strenuous  endeavors  to  have  her  children 
converted  to  God,  and  become  useful  in  life.  There  is  no 
doubt  but  that  the  influence  of  that  noble  woman,  was  the  chief 
means,  in  the  hand  of  God,  in  developing  and  moulding  that 
fine  character  in  the  person  of  the  subject  of  this  memoir, 
which  we  are  about  to  delineate.  "  Many  daughters  have 
done  virtuously,  but  thou  excellest  them  all.  Her  children 
rise  up  and  called  her  blessed ;  her  husband,  also,  and  he 
praiseth  her." 

Were  we  to  begin  with  the  childhood  of  Peter  "VVinn,  we 
would  say,  that  he  was  devotedly  attached  to  his  mother, 
very  fond  of  his  books,  affectionate  towards  his  kindred  and 
friends,  conscientious  in  all  his  dealings  with  others,  and 
remarkably  deferential  in  his  deportment  to  the  old.  He 
exhibited  the  force  of  that  precept  of  Moses, — "  Thou  shalt 
rise  up  before  the  hoary  head,  and  honor  the  face  of  the  old 
man."  His  simplicity  of  character,  his  candor,  integrity, 
and  correctness  of  behavior,  in  general,  always  commanded 
the  respect  and  admiration  of  his  companions  at  school. 
To  this  day,  his  name  is  seldom  mentioned  by  any  of  his  early 
associates  without  expressions  of  affection,  esteem  and  praise. 
We  saw  with  him  in  boyhood,  what  remained  with  him  in 
manhood, — ardor  in  temperament,  soundness  in  judgment, 
and  determination  in  purpose. 

He  commenced  his  literary  course  at  the  early  age  of  six 
years,  in  the  school  of  Mr.  John  C.  Baker,  the  brother  of 
the  celebrated  Daniel  Baker,  D.  D.,  in  the  village  of  Flem- 
ington.  He  was  a  few  years  after  removed  to  Walthourville, 
and  placed  under  the  tuition  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Henry  Ripley, 
afterwards  a  Professor  in  the  Baptist  Theological  Seminary, 
at  Newton  Centre,  Massachusetts.  But  the  greater  portion 
of  his  early  academical  life  was  with  Mr.  Edward  Pyncheon, 
an  intelligent  and  highly  educated  gentleman,  who  taught 


REV.    PETER   WINN.  833 

in  the  Walthourville  Academy  for  many  years,  and  did 
much  to  elevate  and  improve  the  educational  status  of  the 
youth  of  Liberty  county.  It  was  here,  in  this  ancient 
Academy,  so  pleasant  to  the  memory  of  many,  that  young 
Winn,  in  common  with  several  others  of  the  Prasbyterian 
Ministry  of  the  South,  obtained  the  rudiments  of  that  thor- 
ough scholarship  for  which  he  afterwards  became  noted  among 
his  fellew  students.  Mr.  Pyncheon  soon  discoved  his  worth, 
and  appreciated  his  merits,  and  ever  regarded  him  as  one 
of  his  best  scholars.  He  was  much  beloved  and  respected 
by  his  companions  at  school,  and  was  very  often  called  to 
act  as  an  arbiter  and  peace-maker  in  the  difficulties  that 
sometimes  occurred  among  the  boys. 

It  is  probable  that,  while  a  student  at  the  academy,  he 
received  his  first  strong  and  permanent  religious  impressions, 
which  changed  his  destiny  for  time  and  eternity.  About 
the  year  1831,  there  was  a  considerable  revival  of  religion 
in  Walthourville,  under  the  preaching  of  Drs.  Daniel  Baker 
and  Joseph  C.  Stiles.  During  this  refreshing,  young  Winn, 
and  many  other  youths  of  the  village,  professed  conversion. 
After  a  month  of  prayer  and  reflection,  he  connected  him- 
self with  the  Midway  Congregational  Church,  the  venerated 
church  of  his  father's.  But  his  peace  of  mind  and  assurance 
of  acceptance  with  God,  seem  not  to  have  lasted  very  long. 
It  is  believed  that  he  did  not  avail  himself  of  the  privilege 
of  coming  to  the  Lord's  table  more  than  two  or  three  times, 
before  he  fell  into  a  state  of  great  spiritual  doubt  and  dark- 
ness, and  for  several  years  gave  up  all  hope  of  his  conver- 
sion. He  did  not,  however,  abandon  religion  and  return  to 
the  world,  as  is  too  often  the  case,  but  continued  to  struggle 
on,  having,  however,  no  hope  of  acceptance  with  God.  Long 
and  terrible  were  the  conflicts  that  agitated  the  soul  of  the 
troubled  youth.  Days  upon  days  were  devoted  to  fasting 
and  prayer  for  relief,  but  no  relief  came.  What  grief,  what 
anguish  do  some  of  us  still  remember  to  have  seen  depicted 


334  NECROLOGY. 


in  the  face  of  that  young  Christian  !  He  could  say,  as  did 
Job :  "  Oh,  that  I  knew  where  I  might  find  him  !  that  I 
might  come  before  his  seat !  Behold,  I  go  forward,  but  he 
is  not  there;  and  backward,  but  I  cannot  perceive  him;  on 
the  left  hand  where  he  doth  work,  but  I  cannot  behold  him : 
he  hideth  himself  on  the  right  hand  that  I  cannot  see  him : 
but  he  knoweth  the  way  I  take  ;  when  he  hath  tried  me  I 
shall  come  forth  as  gold  !"  He  was  like  Bunyan's  Pilgrim  in 
the  Slough  of  Despond.  May  we  not  suppose  that  God  was 
leading  him  through  these  deep  and  dark  waters  of  despair, 
to  break  his  hold  on  the  world,  to  chasten  his  soul,  to  purify 
his  heart,  and  prepare  him  for  greater  usefulness  in  the 
Church  ?  He  was  tried  indeed  !  But,  he  came  forth  at  last 
as  gold  heated  seven  times  in  the  furnace.  The  encourage- 
ment received  from  his  mother,  together  with  the  faithful 
instructions  of  his  old  Pastor,  Rev.  R.  Quarterman,  were 
blessed  of  God,  to  his  complete  deliverance  from  that  state  of 
doubt  and  despair.  In  gratitude  for  deliverance,  he  seems 
to  have  dedicated  himself  anew  to  the  survice  of  Christ ; 
and  no  sacrifice  or  self-denial  was  too  great  for  him  to  make 
to  the  cause  of  his  Divine  Master. 

From  this  period  his  thoughts  were  turned  to  the  office  of 
the  sacred  ministery  as  a  profession  best  fitted  for  glorifying 
God  and  doing  good  to  man.  He  was  not  hasty,  however, 
in  coming  to  this  conclusion,  but  pondered  and  prayed  over 
the  matter  for  years.  But,  when  he  had  once  made  up 
his  mind  to  do  so,  hardly  anything,  not  even  the  most  form- 
idable obstacles,  could  shake  him  from  his  course.  In  or- 
der to  do  this,  he  at  once  bagan  preparation  for  college,  and 
in  January,  1835,  he  entered  the  Freshman  Class,  in  Frank- 
lin College,  Athens,  Ga.,  then  under  the  Presidency  of  Dr. 
Alonzo  Church.  The  same  high  and  honorable  character 
for  punctuality,  diligence,  sobriety,  and  scholar&hip,  which 
he  bore  in  the  academy,  he  here  sustained  throughout  his 
collegiate  course.     We  do  not  know  that  he  was  deficient 


KEY.    PETER   WINN.  335 


in  any  of  the  branches  of  learning  there  taught,  but  it  is 
known  that  he  excelled  in  the  Mathematics.  In  his  class, 
were  many  young  men  of  superior  talents,  some  of  whom 
have  done  much  honor,  both  to  the  State  and  Church. 
Among  them,  we  might  mention  Dr.  B.  M.  Palmer,  of  New 
Orleans,  Prof.  John  LsConte,  Prof.  Milton  E.  Bacon,  and 
some  others  of  like  sort.  Though  a  very  hard  student,  and 
incessantly  engaged  through  all  the  secular  days  of  the  week 
in  his  college  duties,  yet  he  usually  spent  his  Sabbaths,  not 
in  rest  and  recreation,  but  in  holding  Sabbath  schools  and 
religious  exercises  at  the  Factories  and  destitute  places  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  town.  The  cause  of  the  Redeemer  lay 
heavily  upon  his  heart ;  it  was,  therefore,  the  one  great 
purpose  of  his  soul  to  promote  that  cause  in  every  lawful 
way. 

In  August,  1838,  he  graduated  with  the  second  honor  of 
his  class.  He  left  immediately  after  for  Talliafero  county, 
Ga.,  where  he  entered  upon  the  duties  of  a  te.icher,  in  a 
country  school,  and  remained  until  November,  and,  as  usual, 
holding  meetings  on  the  Sabbath  for  the  people.  Here 
commenced  the  one  great  error  of  his  life, — an  error  for 
which  he  ultimately  paid  most  dearly, — which,  most  proba- 
bly, cost  him  his  life.  He  should  have  spared  himself  and 
embraced  that  opportunity  for  resting  and  prepariug  both 
his  physical  and  mental  energies  for  the  laborious  studies  yet 
before  him  in  the  Theological  Seminary.  But,  having  only 
limited  means,  being  unwilling  to  burden  the  Church  with 
the  expense  of  his  education,  ever, ready  for  work,  and  fired 
with  zeal,  he  determined  to  pay  his  own  way  through  the 
course  of  preparation  necessary  for  entering  the  ministry. 

His  engagements  for  teaching  having  expired,  and  the  exer- 
cises of  the  Seminary  begun,  we  next  find  him  in  Columbia, 
S.  C,  a  student  of  Divinity,  intent  on  his  preparation  for  the 
holy  office  of  the  ministry.  Now,  the  long  cherished  and  fond 
hopes  of  his  heart  were  about  to  be  realized.     A  few  years 


336  NECROLOGY. 


more,  and  he  would  stand  up  an  ordained  and  approved  mes- 
senger of  Jesus  Christ,  to  publish  to  a  dying  world  the  ever- 
lasting Gospel.  Alas !  for  human  foresight ;  these  ardent 
hopes  were  doomed,  in  a  measure,  to  be  blasted  for  the  pres- 
ent. God  had  other  work  for  him.  He  must  occupy  an- 
other sphere  of  which  he  knew  nothing.  He  must  preach 
the  gospel,  it  is  true,  but  he  must  preach  it  in  a  way  differ- 
ent from  what  he  had  himself  preferred  and  marked  out. 
During  the  vacation  in  the  Seminary  in  July,  1839,  he  re- 
turned home,  and,  instead  of  resting  and  recuperating  his 
exhausvted  energies,  he  very  imprudently  engaged  to  supply 
the  place  of  the  absent  Preceptor  of  Walthourville  Academy. 
The  school  was  large,  and  many  of  the  pupils  far  advanced,  so 
that,  in  addition  to  teaching  during  the  day,  he  was  com- 
pelled to  study  much  by  night,  to  be  able  to  instruct  his 
classes.  Here,  also,  he  held  meetings  for  the  people,  and 
aided  his  pastor  in  many  ways.  The  labor  was  too  much 
for  exhausted  nature.  "  The  spirit  was  willing,  but  the 
flesh  was  weak."  His  health  gave  way — fever  ensued — and 
that  was  succeeded  by  hemorrhage  of  the  lungs.  This  was 
the  beginning  of  that  long  season  of  pain,  sickness,  sorrow, 
and  disappointment,  which  never  ceased  until  our  gifted 
young  friend  was  borne  to  the  grave.  It  was  the  first  alarm- 
ing symptom  of  that  insiduous  disease,  the  consumption, 
which  claims  death,  usually,  as  its  sure  and  certain  end. 
This  case  should  warn  young  men,  and  especially  Theolog- 
cal  students,  not  to  follow  the  example  here  given,  and  allow 
their  zeal  to  overtax  the  energies  of  exhausted  nature. 
"There  is  a  time  for  all  things,"  and  there  is  a  time  of 
study.  There  is  also  a  time  for  relaxation,  "  for  much 
study  is  a  weariness  to  the  flesh."  According  to  human 
appearances,  a  little  more  prudence,  a  little  more  rest,  might 
have  prolonged  the  life  and  spared  to  the  Church  the  ser- 
vices of  Peter  Winn.  It  is  the  solemn  duty  of  the  Church 
to  aid  and  sustain  her  indigent  candidates  for  the  ministry. 


REV.    PETER   WINN.  3ST 


She  ought  to  fill  the  treasury  of  her  Educational  Commit- 
tee, and  See  that  her  pious  sons,  struggling  against  poverty, 
do  not  lack  for  pecuniary  aid,  and  young  men  needing  help, 
ought  not  to  feel  any  delicacy  in  asking  assistance.  But  in 
this  case  the  Church  is  not  to  blame.  She  gave  no  aid,  for 
none  was  asked.  Mr.  Winn's  energetic  and  independent  na- 
ture induced  him  to  undertake  what  he  had  not  strength 
to  accomplish.  We  repeat  what  we  have  already  said :  It 
was  the  great  error  of  his  life.  But  we  are  all  fallible. 
"It  is  human  to  err."  God  alone  is  perfect.  If  I  justify 
myself,  mine  own  mouth  shall  condemn  me  :  if  I  say  I  am 
pierfect,  it  shall  also  prove  me  perverse."  God,  no  doubt, 
permitted  it  to  be  so  for  good  and  wise  purposes.  "  What 
thou  knowest  not  now,  thou  shalt  know  hereafter."  If  the 
judgment  of  that  young  man  erred,  it  was  error  more  of  the 
head  than  of  the  heart — an  error  on  the  side  of  virtue. 
He  meant  well.  So  we  pronounce  no. censure;  we  only 
express  a  regret,  and  drop  one  sad  tear  of  sorrow. 

So  far  as  health  is  concerned,  he  was  now  ruined  for  the 
active  duties  of  the  ministry.  There  being  still  a  few  weeks 
remaining  of  the  Seminary  vacation,  he  left  the  school  room,, 
and  betook  himself  to  horse-back  riding  as  a  means  of  re- 
cruiting his  health.  He  takes  a  trip  to  the  up-country  of 
Georgia.  He  visits  his  brother,  J.  W.,  at  Forsyth,  and  his- 
brother-in-law,  Rev.  S.  J.  Cassels,  at  Macon,  and  many 
other  places  and  friends  ;  comes  home  improved  in  health, 
bouyant  in  spirits,  and  imagining  all  was  well  with  him.. 
He  returns  to  the  Seminary  to  resume  his  studies.  But 
alas !  it  was  too  late.  The  seeds  of  disease  were  too  deeply 
rooted  in  his  system  to  be  eradicated.  After  struggling 
with  ill  health  a  few  months,  his  strength  entirely  failed. 
Following  the  advice  of  physicians  and  professors,  he  was- 
forced  at  last  to  bid  farewell  to  the  Seminary — to  abandon, 
for  the  present,  all  hope  of  ever  entering  the  ministry;  and, 
at  last,  he  set  out  on  his  melancholy  journey  homeward, — 
22 


338  NECROLOGY. 


perhaps  to  die  !  How  sad  to  behold  !  all  the  hopes  of  nearly 
a  whole  life  time  apparently  blasted  forever.  Shall  one  so 
gifted,  so  willing  to  preach  the  gospel,  never  be  permitted 
to  enter  the  ministry  of  reconciliation  ?  The  regrets  and 
sympathies,  expressed  by  the  community,  are  well  remem- 
bered. All  pitied,  but  none  could  help  him.  And  now 
■shall  that  aged  mother,  who  so  gladly  gave  him  up  to  the 
work  of  the  ministry,  never  enjoy  the  satisfaction  of  seeing 
her  cherished  son  in  the  pulpit  ?  Are  the  cries  and  suppli- 
■cations  of  the  righteous  never  to  be  answered  ?  Let  us  not 
he  hasty,  but  wait  and  see  the  result.  "Why  art  thou  cast 
■down,  0  my  soul  ?  and  why  art  thou  disquieted  within  me  ? 
•Hope  thou  in  God ;  for  I  shall  yet  praise  him,  who  is  the 
'help  of  my  countenance  and  my  God.  Commit  thy  ways 
itinto  the  Lord,  and  He  shall  bring  it  to  pass." 
We  return  to  our  narrative. 

What  shall  the  young  student  do  ?  The  Theological  Sem- 
inary ha3_^been  abandoned  ;  the  ministry  seems  to  be  beyond 
ihis  reach ;  he  has  not  strength  to  grasp  the  coveted  prize. 
Every  avenue  of  usefulness  seems  closed  against  him.  Must 
he  go  home  to  die  in  his  mother's  arms  ?  Must  he  leave 
■this  world,  having  done  so  little  for  his  perishing  fellow-men? 
He  is  in  the  steamboat  between  Charleston  and  Savannah, 
on  his  way  homeward.  His  small  stock  of  Theological 
Books  are  along  only  to  sadden  his  memory,  by  reminding 
him  of  what  he  might  have  learned  in  the  sublime  science  of 
Divinity.  He  is  feeble  in  body,  and  dejected  in  mind. 
Health  is  gone  !     H<3pes  are  blasted  ! 

In  this  state  of  mind,  he  arrives  at  Savannah,  and  goes  to 

the   boarding  house   of  Mrs.   H ,  a   Presbyterian   lady. 

There  he  met  the  Rev.  Mr.  Cook,  an  agent  of  the  Amer- 
ican Tract  Society,  who,  on  learning  his  situation  and  supe- 
rior worth,  became  interesed  in  him,  and  offered  him  em- 
ployment as  a  Colporteur  and  General  Agent  in  the  whole 
Soath.     One   door  of  usefulness   being   closed   against  him, 


V 


REV.    PETER   WINN.  339 

Pfovidence  immediately  opened  another.  If  he  is  not  al- 
lowed to  preach  to  sinners,  in  his  own  words,  he  is  permitted 
to  do  what  is,  perhaps,  better — he  may  preach  to  them  in 
the  words  of  Payson,  Baxter,  Edwards,  Brainard,  Wilbe- 
force,  and  others  of  the  sainted  dead ;  yea,  he  may  preach 
to  them  in  the  words  of  sacred  Scripture.  This  door  of  use- 
fulness being  so  unexpectedly  opened  to  him,  and  so  well 
adapted  for  the  improvement  of  his  health,  the  call  was,  af- 
ter due  reflection  accepted,  and  subsequently  entered  upon. 
But,  before  the  necessary  arrangements  could  be  made,  the 
Liberty  County  Bible  Society,  which  happened  to  have  a 
considerable  number  of  books  on  hand,  employed  him  as  a 
Colporteur  for  the  rest  of  the  year,  to  labor  in  some  of  the 
adjacent  destitute  counties.  During  this  time,  he  traversed 
the  counties  of  Tatnel,  Appling,  Emanuel,  Effingham,  and 
a  portion  of  Montgomery,  distributing  the  Word  -of  Life. 
The  Bible  was  carried  to  people  and  places  where  it  had 
never  before  gone.  May  we  not  hope  that  that  Holy  Book, 
distributed  by  him,  has  been  the  means  of  saving  many 
souls  ? 

We  have  followed  the  history  of  Mr.  Winn  from  early 
youth  through  his  Academical,  Collegiate  and  Theological 
course.  We  come  now  to  what  might  be  called  the  second 
chapter  of  his  history.  His  studies  are  laid  aside,  and  he 
is  now  in  the  field  laboring  for  his  Divine  Master.  He  is 
the  Agent  of  the  American  Tract  Society,  disseminating  truth 
to  the  unenlightened  of  his  countrymen.  Under  the  plea  of 
ill  health  he  might  have  remained  at  home,  or  he  might  have 
betaken  himself  to  secular  pursuits,  for  no  one  thought  him 
capable  of  enduring  the  hardships  of  a  Colporteur.  But  he 
was  not  a  man  to  waste  time,  when  men  were  perishing 
around  him.  He  felt  that  his  time  was  short,  and  that  he 
must  improve  the  little  portion  of  life  still  left  him. 

His  work  for  the  Bible  Society  being  completsd,  and  the 
necessary  arrangements  made  for  entering  on  his  agency  for 


340  NECKOLOGT. 


the  Tract  Society,  he  commenced  his  operations  in  Georgia, 
about  the  first  of  January,  1841.  To  this  work  he  became 
devotedly  attached,  and  threw  into  it  his  whole  soul.  It 
was  a  work  to  which  he  closely  adhered  for  nearly  four  years, 
under  all  circumstances,  and  often  amid  unusual  difficulties. 
Large  portions  of  Georgia,  South  Carolina,  North  Carolina, 
and  a  part  of  Alabama,  were  visited  by  him.  Exposed  to 
heat  and  cold,  wet  and  dry,  winter  and  summer,  meeting 
with  friends  and  foes,  sympathy  and  rebuff,  he  still  pressed 
on  in  the  great  and  good  work,  without  fainting  or  tiring. 
Being  all  the  time  a  confirmed  consumptive,  spitting  blood 
almost  every  day,  and  often  attacked  with  violent  hemor- 
rhages— often  sick  among  strangers,  and  laid  up  in  public 
inns  where  he  was  much  neglected,  it  is  a  wonder  how  he 
persevered  in  his  work,  for  he  seemed  more  fit  for  the  sick 
room  than  a  traveller  on  the  highways.  But,  as  "  the 
King's  business  was  urgent,  and  required  haste,"  he  yielded 
to  no  discouragements,  but  pressed  onward  and  onward, 
sometimes  visiting  regions  where  no  gospel  messenger  had 
ever  before  appeared.  At  one  time,  during  this  agency, 
several  months  elapsed  and  no  communication  had  yet  been 
received  from.  him.  In  the  meantime,  a  report  got  into  cir- 
culation that  he  was  dead ;  and  just  as  his  friends  who  had 
become  much  concerned  about  his  welfare,  were  making  ar- 
rangements to  send  in  search  for  him,  he  returned  home  much 
improved  in  health. 

That  good  was  done  in  this  protracted  and  extended 
agency,  none  will  doubt;  but  to  what  extent,  the  revelations 
of  eternity  will  alone  unfold.  We  beg  leave  to  mention  but 
one  instance  as  illustrative  of  the  good  accomplished.  It 
came  to  the  knowledge  of  his  friends  after  his  death.  In 
that  portion  of  Georgia  known  as  South-west  Georgia,  the 
Colporteur  happened  to  meet  on  the  road  Gen.  G.,  a  dis- 
tinquished  citizen  of  that  region.  After  som-e  conversation, 
and  the  sale  of  a  few  books  to  the  General,  they  recog- 


REV.    PETER   WINN.  341 


nized  each  other  as  acquaintances,  who  had  met  at  Athens. 
He  invited  Mr.  Winn  to  his  house  and  entertained  him  for 
the  night,  most  hospitably.  The  opportunity  was  embraced 
for  conversation  on  the  importance  and  necessity  of  per- 
sonal piety.  The  subject  was  pressed  home  upon  his  heart 
with  much  force  and  tenderness.  The  Colporteur  left  next 
morning  to  pursue  his  labors  of  love  elsewhere,  not  knowing 
that  any  good  impression  had  been  made  on  his  kind  host. 
They  parted  never  more  to  meet  on  earth.  Other  portions 
of  the  South  were  visited,  and  the  gospel  preached  to  others  ; 
and  the  weary  Corporteur  has  finished  his  course,  and  sleeps 
in  the  grave.  Then  comes  the  information  that  an  impres- 
sion was  made  that  night  upon  the  mind  of  Gen.  G.,  never 
to  be  effaced.  He  had  no  peace  of  soul  until  he  surrendered 
himself  to  the  Saviour.  He  afterwards  connected  himself 
with  the  Baptist  Church,  and  became  a  useful  and  consistent 
Christian.  ^'  In  the  morning  sow  thy  seed,  and  in  the  eve- 
ning withhold  not  thy  hand  :  for  thou  knowest  not  whether 
shall  prosper,  either  this  or  that,  or  whether  they  both  shall 
be  alike  good.  Therefore,  my  beloved  brethren,  be  ye 
steadfast,  immovable,  always  abounding  in  the  work  of  the 
Lord,  for  as  much  as  ye  know  that  your  labor  is  not  in  vain 
in  the  Lord."  "They  that  sow  in  tears,  shall  reap  in  joy." 
We  have  asked,  shall  Mr.  Winn  ever  enter  the  ministry  ? 
and  thus  gratify  the  cherished  desire  of  his  heart.  Will  the 
prayers  of  his  mother  ever  be  answered  and  her  heart  glad- 
dened in  seeing  him  in  the  pulpit  ?  Yes,  that  prayer  was 
answered.  She  saw  him  there,  though  only  once.  He  be- 
came a  minister  of  Jesus  Christ,  as  one  having  ecclesiastical 
authority.  In  the  fall  of  1843,  he  returned  from  a  long 
tour  of  Colportage  through  the  upper  and  middle  counties  of 
North  Carolina,  much  improved  in  health,  and  very  hope- 
ful of  permanent  restoration.  His  thoughts  again  turned 
to  the  ministry.  He  would  make  at  least  one  more  effort. 
His  idea  was,  then,  not  to  relinquish  his  agency  for  the 


342  NECROLOGY. 


Tract  Society,  but  to  blend  the  two  together,  so  as  to  be 
able  to  preach  in  the  destitute  regions,  as  he  visited  from 
place  to  place.  He  accordingly  appeared  before  the  Presby- 
tery of  Georgia,  in  November,  1843,  was  taken  under  its 
care,  examined  and  licensed  by  that  body  at  Midway  Church 
in  the  presence  of  a  large  congregation. 

Having  now  explored  and  visited  the  most  destitute  parts 
of  the  South,  his  thoughts  were  turned  next  toward  the  far 
West,  and  especially  the  great  valley  of  the  Mississippi, 
as  a  most  needy  and  inviting  field  of  labor.  Having  de- 
termined to  go  thither,  he  deemed  it  best,  first,  to  visit  the  Is- 
land of  Cuba  and  spend  a  few  months,  hoping  that  the  mild 
and  salubrious  climate  of  that  trophical  region  would  aid  in 
completing  his  restoration  to  health.  Accordingly,  about 
the  first  of  January,  1844,  he  left  Savannah  in  a  vessel 
bound  for  that  Island.  The  voyage  was  not  long,  but  rough 
and  tempestuous.  He  encountered  a  severe  gale,  which  he 
described  in  one  of  his  letters  as  truly  grand  and  sublime. 
He  learned,  indeed,  that  "  they  who  go  down  into  the  sea  in 
ships,  that  do  business  in  great  waters,  see  the  works 
of  the  Lord,  and  His  wonders  in  the  deep."  In  order,  that 
he  might  better  enjoy  the  sublimity  of  the  scene  of  an  ocean 
in  commotion,  he  remained  for  hours  on  deck,  lashed  to  the 
mast,  gazing  upon  nature  in  her  most  majestic  manifesta- 
tions. But  the  storm  at  length  subsided,  and  his  ship  glided 
calmly  into  the  port  of  Havana.  He  would  gladly  have 
prosecuted  his  evangelical  labors  among  the  people  of  this 
Catholic  Island  ;  b-ut  the  Spanish  authorities  were  too  vigi- 
lant for  &uch  an  attempt.  His  trunks  were  searched,  and 
every  Protestant  book  taken  from  him,  except  his  Bible, 
which  was  saved  by  being  concealed  about  his  person.  Re- 
maining there  a  few  months,  regaling  himself  with  the  fruits 
and  luxuries  of  that  delightful  climate,  he  left  in  the  spring 
for  New  Orleans,  and  thence  up  the  Mississippi — he  visited 
many  towns  and  villages  on  its  banks.     He  finally  selected 


REV.    PETER    WINN.  343 


the  western  portion  of  the  State  of  Mississippi  as  a  suitable 
field  for  his  work.  Here  he  was  indefatigable  and  untiring 
in  his  efforts  to  do  good.  The  impression  made  on  the  peo- 
ple of  the  West  was  the  same  as  that  made  on  those  of  the 
East.  Here  he  became  deeply  interested  in  the  spiritual 
welfare  of  the  colored  people.  To  him  they  seemed  as  sheep 
without  a  shepherd.  He  saw  thousands  upon  thousands  of 
Africans  in  this  region,  who  enjoyed  little  of  the  means  of 
Grace.  "  The  harvest  was  plenteous,  but  the  laborers  were 
few."  So  deep  and  strong  were  his  convictions  of  the  duty 
of  laboring  for  them,  that  he  finally  concluded  to  relinquish 
his  connection  with  the  Tract  Society,  and  spend  the  balance 
of  his  days  as  a  Missionary  among  them.  Being,  himself, 
a  Southern  man,  born  and  reared  among  them,  he  possessed 
a  strong  and  lasting  friendship  for  them  ;  and  he  thought, 
that  in  no  better  way  could  he  ameliorate  their  condition, 
than  by  preaching  to  them  the  gospel  of  Christ.  Thus,  we 
next  find  him  in  this  new  and  interesting  field  of  labor.  He 
choose  Claiborne  county,  in  the  vicinity  of  Port  Gibson,  as  a 
point  best  adapted  for  the  commencement  of  his  work. 
Here  he  was  employed  as  a  missionary  to  the  blacks  by  a 
number  of  wealthy  and  intelligent  planters.  Among  these, 
were  such  persons  as  Mr.  Thomas  Cleveland,  Mrs.  Daniels, 
Rev.  Zebulon  Butler,  D.  D.,  and  others, — persons  from 
whom  he  received  much  encouragement  and  assistance  in  his 
work.  For  Dr.  Butler  and  his  family  he  entertained  the 
highest  esteem  and  respect  ;  and  to  the  end  of  life,  kept  up 
with  him  an  intimate  correspondence.  It  was  mainly  through 
his  influence  that  the  mission  was  gotten  up  and  sustained. 
In  this  field  he  was  eminently  successful.  He  soon  won  for 
himself  the  confidence  and  respect,  not  only  of  the  Master, 
but  of  the  slave  himself.  They  welcomed  him  with  open 
arms,  and  flocked  by  thousands  to  hia-  preaching.  Day  and 
night,  both  on  Sabbaths  and  secular  days,  did  he  go  from 
plantation  to  plantation,  breaking  to  tliis  benighted  people 
the  bread  of  life. 


344  NECROLOGY. 


While  laboring  in  this  field,  he  became  acquainted  with 
Miss  Margaret  McComb,  a  worthj  lady  of  Port  Gibson. 
Their  acquaintance  ripened  into  affection,  and  resulted  in 
their  marriage  in  the  year  1845,  And  it  may  not  be  amiss 
to  say,  that  she  proved  to  him  an  angel  of  mercy,  minister- 
ing to  all  his  wants,  and  cheering  him  in  his  subsequent 
great  afflictions.  She  still  lives,  a  resident  of  New  Orleans, 
and  now  the  wife  of  Henry  T.  Bartlett,  an  Elder  in  the 
Thalia  Street  Presbyterian  Church. 

Mr.  Winn  labored  as  a  missionary  to  the  colored  people 
in  this  place  about  eighteen  months,  and  would  gladly  have 
settled  here  for  life,  but  God  had  otherwise  ordained.  It 
soon  became  evident  that  the  strength  of  his  body  was  not 
equal  to  the  zeal  of  his  heart.  Incessant  toil  and  exposure 
to  an  unheal ty  atmosphere  of  night,  as  he  visited  from  plan- 
tation to  plantation,  destroyed  what  little  strength  was  left 
him.  But,  unwilling  to  give  up,  and  anxious  to  live  for  the 
good  of  the  colored  man,  one  more  effort  was  made  for  the 
improvement  ©f  his  health.  But  it  was  all  in  vaia.  His 
disease  was  incurable.  His  work  was  done,  and  he  must 
soon  die.  Resigning  himself  with  Christian  submission  to 
the  will  of  God,  he  abandons  his  mission,  resigns  his  charge, 
and  turns  his  face  toward  his  mothers  house, — the  home  of 
his  infancy.  He  has  met  with  the  sons  and  daughters  of 
Africa  as  their  mistionary  for  the  last  time.  The  poor  black 
man  has  lost  in  him  one  of  his  best  friends.  The  last  hymn 
is  sung,  the  last  prayer  has  been  offered,  the  last  sermon 
preached,  the  last  parting  word  uttered,  and  he  is  off  to  find 
a  place  to  die. 

He  reached  Liberty  county  in  the  month  of  April,  1846, 
the  mere  shadow  of  a  man — a  living  skeleton.  No  one 
could  look  upon  his  pale,  haggard,  emaciated  face,  without 
having  his  sympathies  aroused.  His  cough  was  troublesome, 
his  strength  exhausted,  and  his  respiration,  at  times,  difficult. 
In  addition  to  the  wasting  influences  of  consumption,  he  had 


REV.    PETER   WINN.  345 


a  painful  affection  of  the  knee — acute  inflammation,  swel- 
ling, and  contraction  of  the  joint,  exceedingly  painful.  He 
Avalked  a  little,  but  only  on  crutches.  Such  wasliis  condi- 
tion, when  he  left  the  missionary  field.  He  worked  to  the 
last — he  fell  in  the  battle — he  died  in  the  harness.  He 
came  to  end  his  days  among  a  people  where  he  was  born, 
and  had  been  reared.  With  them,  in  earlier  days,  he  had 
lived  and  associated — with  them  he  had  often  met  in  the 
house  of  God.  They  knew  his  worth  and  appreciated  his 
merits ;  and  when,  at  last,  he  returned  to  die  in  their  midst, 
they  welcomed  him  back  to  his  native  land.  Never  did  the 
people  of  that  community  manifest  a  greater  sympathy  for 
any  one  than  they  showed  him.  There  were  no  dainties  or 
luxuries,  that  might  contribute  to  his  comfort,  that  they  did 
not  shower  upon  him.  They  seemed  to  vie  with  each  other 
in  exhibitions  of  kindness.  In  addition  to  the  daily  visita- 
tions of  friends,  he  was  often  favored  with  visits  of  many  of 
his  nunisterial  brethren,  such  as  Messrs.  Quarterman,  Jones, 
Cassels,  Law,  and  Axson.  These  visits  were  comforting  to 
hko,  and  highly  valued.  It  may  be  asked  by  some,  what 
were  his  feelings  now,  or  rather,  what  his  state  of  mind  ? 
His  hopes  had  been  blasted — he  had  long  been  an  invalid — 
he  had  studied  and  labored  under  the  greatest  difficulties — 
and  had  now  been  finally  arrested,  and  brought  in  prospect  of 
soon  standing  face  to  face  with  his  God  in  judgment.  In  view 
of  this,  what  were  his  feelings  ?  Was  he  dejected,  melancholy  ? 
Did  he  murmur  at  the  hard  and  mysterious  allotments  of 
Providence  ?  We  answer,  that  a)  happier  man  could  hardly 
be  found  on  earth.  To  the  last,  he  was  social,  cheerful,  and, 
at  times,  exceedingly  jocose  and  playful.  Place  him  in  any 
company,  whether  with  young  or  old,  he  would  be  the  life  of 
that  company.  Even  when  on  his  death-bed,  his  house  was 
anything  but  the  house  of  mourning.  It  was  the  house  of 
peace,  cheerfulness,  contentment,  and  quiet  assurance.  His 
pastor,  after  visiting  one  day,  remarked,  that  he  "regarded 


346  NECROLOGY. 


it  more  a  privilege  than  an  afEiction  to  have  a  child  sick  in  his 
situation,  and  with  his  state  of  mind."  Grace  triumphed  over 
all.  He  had  been  preparing  for  death,  and  when  at  last  it 
came,  he  was  ready  to  depart.  He  could  say,  "I  can  do  all 
things  through  Christ  who  strengtheneth  me."  Fifteen 
years  he  had  closely  followed  his  Master,  and  that  Master 
did  not  forsake  him  in  the  day  of  need. 

Mr.  Winn  was  not  confined  to  his  bed  for  six  months  af- 
ter his  return  home.  He  usually  sat  up  most  of  the  day — 
rode  on  horseback  very  often — attended  church  regularly, — 
and  often  visited  his  friends.  In  the  month  of  October, 
however,  he  began  to  sink  more  rapidly,  and  after  that  pe- 
riod, never  rose  from  his  couch.  He  lingered  three  months 
more,  and  on  the  18th  of  January,  1847,  his  spirit  entered 
into  that  rest  that  remaineth  for  the  people  of  God,  in  the 
31st  year  of  age. 

The  following  letter,  written  by  his  mother,  to  an  absent 
brother,  a  few  days  after  his  decease,  discloses  the  scenes  of 
the  flying  bed  of  this  young  servant  of  Christ : 

"Walthourville,  Jan.  21st,  1847. 

My  Dear :  Ere  this  reaches  you,  you  will,  no  doubt, 

have  received  through  letter  of  J.,  the  melancholy  intelligence 
of  the  death  of  our  beloved  Peter.  Yes,  my  precious  child  is 
now  a  saint  in  heaven.  And,  although  floods  of  tears  run  down 
my  furrowed  cheeks,  when  I  allow  my  selfish  feelings  to  pre- 
vail, yet,  when  I  think  of  his  eternal  gain,  my  grief  is  turned 
into  joy.  We  are  indeed  "sorrowful,  yet  rejoicing."  Oh! 
if  you  could  have  been  present  during  the  last  few  days  of 
his  pilgrimage,  and  witnessed  his  calm  and  peaceful  end, 
you  would  have  exclaimed,  with  our  friend.  Dr.  C.  C.  Jones, 
in  his  closing  remarks  at  his  funeral,  "Let  me  die  the  death 
of  the  righteous,  and  let  my  last  end  be  like  his."  Such  com- 
posure, such  patient  resignation,  such  entire  confidence  in 
the  merits  of  his  Saviour,  are  rarely  ever  met  with!     Tbere 


KEV.    PETER   WINN.  347 


seemed  to  be  a  comlination  of  all  the  Christain  graces  rest- 
ing upon  his  soul,  which  gave  lustre  to  his  countenance,  and 
recommended  to  all  who  beheld  him,  the  religion  he  pro- 
fessed. But,  rather  than  give  you  my  own  words,  I  will  re- 
peat to  you  many  of  the  sweet  expressions  which  fell  from 
his  lips  du»ing  the  few  days  previous  to  his  departure. 

On  Friday  evening,  Mrs.  M.  approached  his  bed-side ;  he 
turned,  took  hold  of  her  hand,^  and  said:  "Mrs.  Minton, 
heaven  appears  to  brighten  in  prospect."  A  few  hours  af- 
ter, I  said  to  him,  "  My  dear  child,  how  does  Christ  appear 
to  you  now?"  He  looked  intelligently  in  my  face,  and 
said,  "  Very,  very  precious,  one  among  thousands  and  alto- 
gether lovely."  About  three  o'clock  on  Saturday  morning, 
we  were  summoned  around  his  bedside  to  see  him  die.  He 
was  asleep,  and  appeared  to  be  fast  sinking.  We  thought 
it  best  to  arouse  him,  and  make  known  to  him  his  situation. 
His  cousin,  Thomas  W.  F.,  then  asked  if  he  was  sensible 
that  his  stay  with  us  was  likely  to  be  very  short  ?  He 
calmly  replied,  "  I  feel  very  feeble,  and  if  I  am  going,  I 
must  bid  you  all  farewell."  He  then  took  each  member  of 
the  family  by  the  hand,  and,  with  feeble  voice  and  faltering 
tongue,  bid  them  all  an  affectionate  farewell.  Beginning 
with  me,  he  said:  "Farewell,  my  precious  mother,  I  commit 
you  to  the  direction  of  a  kind  Providence.  May  he  sustain, 
protect  and  provide  for  you,  my  dear  mother.  You  know 
the  terms  on  which  I  had  your  watch.  I  now  return  it  to  you." 
And  then,  turning  to  his  wife,  Margaret,  he  said,  "And 
you,  my  dear  beloved  one,  farewell.  Trust  in  your  Saviour, 
He  will  be  all  in  all  to  you.  Serve  him,  and  you  will  be 
happy.  He  is  a  friend  that  sticketh  closer  than  a  brother. 
0,  may  he  devise  your  way  and  direct  your  steps."  To  his 
cousin,  T.  W.  F.,  he  said,  "  Farewell,  my  dear  cousin,  the 
Lord  bless  you  and  your  dear  family."  To  his  brother  W., 
he  said,  "Farewell,  my  dear  brother,  may  the  Lord  lead 
you  in  paths  of  righteousness  and  peace.  Tell  sister  L.  S.  and 


348  NECROLOaY. 


brother  E.,  farewell  for  me.  These  three  had  not  reached  here. 
To  his  brother  J.  W.  W.,  he  said,  "Farewell,  my  dear 
brother ;  0,  if  I  were  sure  of  meeting  you  in  Heaven.  I 
have  long  prayed  for  you,  and  I  yet  hope  to  meet  you  there. 
0,  that  the  Lord  would  pour  his  spirit  upon  you.  The  little 
effects  I  leave  my  dear  companion^  I  beg  you  will  take  charge 
of."  "Farewell,  my  dear  cousin  S.,  may  the  Lord  be  your 
father  and  mother,  brother  ^nd  sister,  and  all."  To  Tallula 
Cassels,  he  said,  "  Farewell,  my  dear  little  neice,  may  you 
be  early  converted  to  God."  To  his  friend  and  school  cotr- 
panion,  Mr.  T.  S.  M.,  he  said,  "Farewell,  my  dear  friend, 
you  have  been  a  kind  friend  to  me ;  may  the  Lord  bless  you 
and  your  dear  family."  Then,  turning  to  me  again,  he  said, 
^'Tell  my  servants,  Caroline  and  Solomon,  my  greatest  de- 
sire for  them,  is,  that  they  may  be  saved."  I  then  asked 
him,  if  he  had  any  messages  to  send  to  his  absent  brothers 
and  his  two  old  aunts.  "Tell  them  I  die  in  peace,  and  hope 
they  will  prove  faithful  to  the  end  in  serving  Grod."  Once 
more,  turning  to  us  all,  he  said,  "I  hope  you  will  take  care 
of  Margaret."  These  were  some  of  the  words  he  uttered 
when  we  all  thought  him  near  his  end.  But  he  recovered 
from  this  paroxysm,  and  his  precious  spirit  remained  with 
us  until  half-past  five  o'clock  Monday  morning,  when  he  fell 
asleep  in  Jesus,"  without  a  sigh  or  groan.  So  quietly  did 
he  go,  that  none  of  us  were  aware  of  it,  until  he  had  breathed 
his  last. 

The  day  before  he  died.  Dr.  Jones  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  A., 
came  to  see  him,  and  remained  in  the  village  that  night,  that 
they  might  witness  the  last  scene.  At  one  time  he  said  to 
Dr.  Jones,  "It  is  a  great  consolation  to  think  of  being  bu- 
ried in  my  own  churchyard  by  the  side  of  my  fathers,  and 
rise  with  them  in  the  resurrection.  Once  I  thought  it  of  lit- 
tle consequence;  but  I  think  differently  now."  Dr.  J.  asked 
him  if  he  did  not  anticipate  meeting  his  dear  relatives  in 
Heaven,  with  delight  ?     "0  yes,"  he  said,  "it  is  like  going 


REV.    PETER   WINN.  349 


home,  and  I  can  now  say,  Why  delayeth  thy  coming  ?"  Pre- 
vious to  this,  his  last  night  on  earth,  he  could  not  lie  down, 
but  sat  up  in  bed  on  account  of  the  difl5culty  of  respira- 
tion. Still,  his  sufferings  at  the  last  were  not  great.  The 
pain  in  his  knee  entirely  ceased,  and  his  cough  did  not  an- 
noy him  for  many  days  previous  to  his  death. 

His  funeral  was  held  at  my  house.  Six  ministers  were 
present — four  of  them  took  part  in  the  services  ;  and  his 
remains  were  immediately  conveyed  to  the  graveyard  at 
Midway,  where  he  now  sleeps  with  the  dust  of  his  fathers. 

And  now,  my  dear ,  what  use  are  we  to  make  of  this 

solemn  visitation  of  Providence,  but  by  being  more  diligent 
in  making  preparation  for  our  own  solemn  change.  The 
voice  of  God  is,  "Be  ye  also  ready."  So  let  us  "work  while 
it  is  day,  before  the  night  cometh  when  no  man  can  work." 
O,  that  this  affliction  might  be  sanctified  to  each  member  of 
the  family !  If  this  Providence  should  be  the  means  of 
bringing  those  who  are  yet  unconverted  to  a  saving  knowl- 
edge of  Christ,  what  a  happy  event  would  it  be !  Let  us 
pray  especially  for  the  salvation  of  their  souls.  We  are  all 
deeply  afflicted,  at  the  same  time  supported.  We  talk  and 
weep  much  together  ;  but  the  language  of  our  hearts  is  ;  "It 
is  the  Lord,  let  him  doeth  what  seemeth  him  good."  We 
have  lost  much,  but  Peter  has  gained  Heaven,  which  will 
make  amends  for  all  his  sufferings.  Friends  have  been  kind, 
exceedingly  kind,  and  there  are  so  many  merciful  providen- 
ces connected  with  the  affliction,  that  we  have  cause  to  praise 
and  bless  God  for  His  loving  kindnesses  and  tender  mercies 
toward  us.  So,  farewell,  my  dear  child ;  may  the  Lord  sus- 
tain you,  under  this  afflictive  bereavement,  is  the  prayer  of 
your  mother,  Eliza  Winn. 

This  letter  Jspeaks  out  for  itself.  It  needs  no  comment 
from  us.  His  end  was  just  such  an  end  as  we  might  expect 
from  his   previous  life.     He  could  say,  "Though  I   walk 


350  NECROLOGY. 


through  'the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death,  I  will  fear  no 
evil ;  for  thou  art  with  me,  thy  rod  and  thy  staff  they  com- 
fort me."  Who  does  not  see,  in  the  peaceful  and  triumph- 
ant end  of  the  Christian,  the  value  of  true  vital  godliness  ? 
Who  will  say  that  he  has  served  God  for  naught  ?  Some 
may  have  thought  this  young  man  was  over-taxing  himself, 
■while  he  prosecuted  his  self-denying  labors  in  his'  Master's 
vineyard.  But,  his  constant  reply  was,  "I  must  work  the 
work  of  him  Avho  sent  me  ;"  and  the  result  proved  that  he 
was  right.  He  did  not  labor  in  vain.  He  received  his  reward 
in  this  life.  It  was  worth  all  toil  to  be  able  to  meet  death 
as  he  met  it.  How  sublime  the  spectacle,  Jwhen  suddenly 
awoke  out  of  deep  sleep  in  the  dead  of  night,  and  told  that 
he  was  dying,  and  was  asked  what  message  he  had  to  send 
certain  kindred,  he  calmly  said,  "  Tell  them  1  die  in  peace. '^ 
A  noble  declaration !  A  strong  exhibition  of  sustaining 
grace  !  A  glorious  attestation  of  the  truth  of  Christianity  ! 
Tell  them  1  die  in  peace  !  Years  have  rolled  by,  yet,  as  we 
stand  by  his  grave,  and  memory  recalls  the  scenes  of  the 
dying  bed,  we  are  comforted  and  cheered  by  the  remembrance 
of  this  message, — "Tell  them  I  die  in  peace."  Let  the 
reader  of  this  memorial  consider  well,  and  go  and  do  like- 
wise. Your  time  to  die,  my  friend,  will  soon  come.  Friends 
will  gather  around  your  dying  couch.  You,  too,  may  be 
asked,  what  message  will  you  send  to  absent  friends.  Will 
you  be  able  to  say,  "Tell  them  I  die  in  peace."  Without 
grace — without  the  presence  of  Christ — you  will  have  no 
such  message  to  send.  "Be  ye  also  ready,  for  ye  know  not 
the  day  nor  the  hour  when  the  Son  of  Man  cometh." 

Such  is  a  brief  sketch  of  the  life  of  the  Rev.  Peter  Winn. 
More  might  be  added;  bat  enough  has  been  said  to  enable 
us  to  form  a  correct  opinion  of  his  character.  A  few  more 
words,  with  regard  to  some  of  his  peculiar  traits  of  body  and 
mind,  will  close  this  memoriam. 

Mr.  Winn,  in  person,  was  about  the  ordinary  size  of  men 


REV.    PETER   WINN.  851 


— somewhat  tall,  never  fleshy  and  robust.  He  was  delicate 
from  childhood ;  originally  very  straight  and  erect ;  but,  in 
time,  much  bowed  under  the  force  of  his  disease.  Ke  was, 
in  early  life,  rather  graceful  in  his  movements — somewhat 
attractive  and  preposessing  in  his  appearance.  His  face, 
the  index  of  his  mind,  betokened  intelligence,  benignity,  de- 
cission  and  sincerity.  It  was  such  a  face  as  a  stranger  would 
be  pleased  with.  His  complexion  was  fair,  his  hair  dark,  and 
his  eyes  black,  keen,  and  penetrating,  and  under  the  influ- 
ence of  his  disease,  they  shone  with  more  than  usual  splen- 
dor. He  was  not  a  genius,  yet  a  man  of  more  than  ordi- 
nary mental  ability.  He  usually  excelled  in  everything  to 
which  he  turned  his  attention.  He  had  excellent  adminis- 
trative ability,  and  was  very  exact  and  correct  in  all  his  bu- 
siness transactions.  His  energy,  industry,  and  perseverance 
were  untiring.  He  accomplished  what  few  men  in  his  state 
of  health  would  have  dared  attempt.  He  travelled  thousands 
of  miles,  year  after  year,  when  he  seemed  more  fit  for  the 
sick  bed  than  a  wayfarer.  As  to  his  preaching  ability,  lit- 
tle is  known.  Strangers  alone  must  testify  on  this  point. 
He  never  preached  but  twice  in  his  native  county — once  at 
at  Midway,  and  once  at  Mt.  Olivet.  He  was  a  modest, 
humble,  retiring  man.  Few  lived  at  home  so  little,  yet  none 
loved  home  more.  Nothing  but  a  stern  sense  of  duty  made 
him  a  wanderer  on  the  earth.  He  could  be  graceful  and 
dignified,  yet  he  was  so  social  and  playful  in  disposition, 
that  a  little  child  would  naturally  run  into  his  arms.  He 
■was  very  prudent,  had  an  excellent  knowledge  of  human  na- 
ture, and  could  adapt  himself  to  any  situation.  He  was 
conciliatory  and  yielding,  except  when  duty  and  principal 
were  at  stake,  then  he  feared  not  the  face  of  man.  He  was 
very  conscientious  :  as  a  proof  of  this,  when  travelling  in 
the  service  of  the  Church,  to  save  expense,  he  would  take 
his  seat  in  the  box  car,  rather  than  the  passenger  coach. 
Until  his   connection  ^with  the   Presbytery  in  1843,  he  was 


352  NECROLOGY. 


only  a  private  member  of  Midway  Church,  and  although  for 
ten  years  never  a  resident  of  the  county,  and  enjoying  none 
of  its  sancutary  privileges,  yet  he  usually  sent  his  annual 
contribution  to  the  support  of  its  pastor.  This,  too,  to  a 
Church  then  strong  and  wealthy,  needing  no  assistance  at  his 
hands.  But  as  a  member  of  that  Church,  he  felt  it  his  duty 
and  privilege,  and  such  as  he  could  not  forego. 

It  has  already  been  said  that  he  was  passionately  fond  of 
his  mother.  Her  letter,  describing  his  death-bed  scene,  not 
only  confirms  this,  but  shows  this  passion  strong  in  death. 
It  is  very  much  doubted  whether,  after  he  had  attained  years 
of  discretion,  he  was  ever  known  to  disobey  or  offend  her.  He 
loved  his  mother,  and  she,  in  turn,  was  fond  of  her  noble  boy. 
She  called  him  "her  wandering  son."  It  was  hard  for  her  to 
see  him  year  after  year,  in  such  feeble  health,  leave  his 
comfortable  and  pleasant  home  to  dwell  among  strangers, 
that  he  might  bear  the  invitations  of  the  gospel  into  "  the 
highways  and  hedges"  of  the  earth.  Many  a  tear  did  she 
shed,  and  many  a  prayer  did  she  oifer  in  behalf  of  her  "  wan- 
dering son."  But  they  are  now  united,  where  they  part  no 
more,  and  weep  no  more, — where  there  is  no  more  death, 
neither  sorrow,  nor  crying,  neither  shall  there  be  any  more 
pain. 

The  character  of  young  Winn  is  a  very  fine  one  :  but  let 
no  one  suppose  that  we  regard  him  as  a  perfect  character. 
None  such  now  lives  on  earth — we  are  all  a  fallen  race. 
He  was  but  "a  man  of  like  passions  jwith  ourselves."  He 
had  his  infirmities  as  other  men — and  no  one  was  more  sensi- 
ble of  this  than  himself.  He  was  a  man  of  strong  feelings 
and  high  temper,  which,  especially  in  early  life,  would  some- 
times break  out  with  considerable  impetuosity.  This,  how- 
ever, he  was  enabled,  through  Divince  Grace,  so  well  to  con- 
trol, that  even  his  most  intimate  friends  were  hardly  aware 
of  it.  But  he  knew  it,  and  mourned  over  it  to  the  day  of  his 
death.     If  he  excelled  any  of  his  cotemporaries,  the  praise 


REV.    PETER    V/INX.  353 


is  due  to  God  alone,  for,  after  all,  the  great  element  of  his 
greatness  and  usefulness  was  his  ardent  piety.  Here  lies 
the  seoret,  the  moving-spring  of  all  his  usefulness.  He  was 
a  man  of  prayer,  a  man  of  faith.  Day  by  day  he  walked 
with  God.  He  could,  in  truth,  say  :  "The  love  of  Christ 
constraineth  me."  If  any  would  attain  his  eminence  in  vir- 
tue and  usefulness,  they  must  obtain  supplies  from  the  same 
inexhaustible  fountain.  "I  am  the  light  of  the  world," 
said  the  blessed  Saviour,  "he  that  followeth  me  shall  not 
walk  in  darkness,  but  shall  have  the  light  of  life." 

All  love  the  memory  of  the  man  whose  character  we  have 
attempted  to  portray  in  these  pages.  Friends  admire,  and 
kindred  cherish  it.  None  are  offended  when  told  that  Peter 
was  the  "flower  of  the  flock."  They  are  thankful  that  God 
was  pleased  to  raise  up  such  a  man  in  their  midst.  His 
name  has  become  a  household  word  among  them.  They  love 
to  call  their  children  '■'■  Peter  Winn,''  But  they  love  him 
chiefly  because  he  was  good. 

Though  he  left  no  children,  may  we  not  hope  and  pray 
that  his  mantle  may  fall  at  least  on  some  of  his  many  sur- 
viving relatives  ? 


23 


REV.  EDWIN  T.  WILLI A?vIS. 


Ei»')Vrx  T.  WiLLiAJrs  wns  the  young/ st  s-^n  of  Riclifivd 
and  Mary  Willia^rs,  and  was  bovn  in  tlic  ciiy  (.f  S^vanriah, 
Gcogia.,  12lli  of  Mavch,  1826.  His  parer^ts  vrare  devo- 
tedly pious,  and  trained  up  tlieir  loving  and  gentle  child 
in  the  nurture  and  a(hiionition  cf  the  I^ord.  By  one  it  has 
been  rennirked,  he  "  v;as  beautifully  obedient  to  his  devoted 
parents." 

Fi'om  early  boyhood,  Jesus  seemed  to  have  marked  him 
for  his  own.  Perhaps,  like  the  child  Samuel,  he  was  loaned 
to  the  Lord,  and,  as  he  grew  in  days  and  years,  he  gave  in- 
creaping  promise  of  the  high  and  holy  destination  to  wh.ich 
he  had  been  appointed  of  !iis  heavenly  Fatlier.  JIo  grew  in 
Strength  before  the  Lord.  lie  Avas  not  only  the  child  of  prayer, 
but  a  pra^hir/  child.  His  love  of  the  family  altar,  at  which 
the  morning  and  evening  incense  of  prayer  and  praise  v.ere  of- 
fered, was  remakable  in  one  so  young.  He  never  appeared 
to  be  happier  than  when  allowed  the  privilege  of  attending 
the  family  devotions.  "When  other  childn-n  were  wrapped  in 
slumber,  he  would  patiently  wait,  however  kite  the  hcur.  that 
he  might  unite  in  the  household  worship.  His  father's  business 
ofien  detained  him  until  a  late  hour  from  home  ;  yet,  when 
the  other  members  of  th*'  famdy  had  retired,  it  wa-^^  the  sweet- 
est privilege  of  little  Eddie's  life  to  be  p-rraittcd  to  sit  up 
"till  his  return,  and  go  with  him  and  his  old  nurse  to  pray- 
ers." His  father  was  a  man  of  prayer.  The  midnight 
hour  and  the  early  morn  often  f^und  him  at  the  mercy-seat; 
and  often  "Would  h's  little  boy,  missing  him  from  his  .--ide, 
steal  away  and  kneel  with  him  at  the  throne  of  g'l^ce,  when 
others  were  buried  in  slov-'p.     Thoiigh  bat  a  child, 

"  lie  knew  tlin  worth  of  prayer, 
Aud  wished  to  be  oftou  lUfru." 

354 


KEV.    EDVvIN    T.    WILLIAMS.  35") 

Wh:it  can  be  more  bcjiutiful  than  such  a  picture  of  infant 
piety?  We  love  to  contemplate  the  youthful  piety  of  a  Sam- 
uel of  the  Old  Testament  times,  and  a  Timothy  of  the  New; 
bat  in  few,  very  feAV,  instances  hns  it  been  more  fally  devel- 
oped than  in  liim  A\hosc  memorliil  it  is  our  privilege  now  to 
wrilo.  We  are  pleased  to  put  it  on  record,  thit  it  may  hsp- 
pi'y  irifliiericc  other  parents  who  may  read  those  memoir.s, 
to  seek  for  their  dear  little  ones  the  gra.ce  conferred  fipon 
this  child  of  the  covi-nanL 

Thnt  he  v.^as  the  subject  of  Divhie  grace,  perliaps  from 
early  infanc\%  wo  can  hardly  donbt.  There  is  no  period  re- 
collected Isy  the  fa'nily,  when  he  m-mift-stcd  those  exercises 
of  hearr.,  u-(u:!.lly  artenden-:;  upoa  th-;  converting  opera- 
tions of  tlio  IIi)ly  Spirit — 3onvicMin,  sorrow,  inquiry  fur  the 
way  of  life,  nnd  joy  of  the  new-born  soul.  S  lys  h's  sister: 
"It  v,'ouid  be  diihciilt  to  say  when  thf  IL)ly  Spi'it  first  op- 
erated upon  hi-i  you  ig  hiirt,  hi  wis  al.viy^  so  lov'e'j'-  ia  ilii- 
posi'.iijn — I  heart  so  fud  of  ]ovc>"  May  wo  not  C'^nclude 
that  he  was  sanctified  fi'oin  ;he  womb? 

His  devotion  to  his  p  i''cri:s  w.i.s  groat.  Ilij  fither  died 
while  he  was  yet  of  tender  years;  but  the  exanplf,  adm')ni- 
t  ons  and  training  of  that  beloved  p  ir.'iit  v.-yrc  never  for- 
gotten. Wherever  he  was,  wh.^ther  at  hoaeor  abroai, 
whether  in  his  native  land,  or  up)n  d'stant  heathen  slio>es, 
th.c  influence  of  that  f.'ither  was  still  felt  and  reverent'j'' 
cheished.  Ii  his  fifienith  year  he  in  a  le  a  paMi'3  profession 
of  religion,  and  united  v/ith  the  Ind-pond.mt  Presbyt-rian 
Church  in  Savannah. 

HIS     EDUCATION. 

When  he  was  nine  years  oil,  h-'  was  sent  with  his  sister 
(now  Mrs.  Gibbs,  of  Sr.  Augustine)  to  a  seh-iol  at  Edgefield, 
^.  C,  taught  byDr.  William  Johnson,  a  Ba[)tist  clei'gymm, 
wtU  hnown  in  that  regi-m  as  an  educator  of  you  h.  B«:t  Le 
here  remained  only  a   few   months.     Sach  v,-as  the  eanie.-t 


356  NECROLOGY. 


yearning  of  his  heart  for  the  pleasant  and  pious  home  of  his 
chihlhood,  that  he  was  recalled. 

In  less  than  a  year  after  his  return  to  his  home,  his  father 
deid.  He  remained  at  home  after  his  fatlier's  death  until  about 
his  fifteenth  year,  probably  attending  the  schools  of  his  na- 
tive city.  He  was  then  sent  by  his  mother  to  a  school  at 
Wilmington,  Delaware,  taught  by  a  Mr.  Gayley.  He  is 
represented  as  being  an  excellent  gentleman,  and  who  was 
ever  fondly  remembered  by  his  pulpil,  and,  in  return,  was 
loved  and  respected  by  his  teacher  and  all  his  fellow-pupils. 
Subsequent  to  his  attendance  of  Mr.  Gayley's  school,  he  spent 
some  time  at  Hadley,  Mass.,  having  at  that  time  a  brother, 
a  member  of  Amherst  College.  Whether  he  attended  school 
at  Hadley  or  not,  we  are  not  informed.  It  is  probable  that 
he  was  still  pursuing  his  studies.  He  returned  to  Savannah.  It 
v/as  then  that  his  missionary  spirit  began  to  manifest  itself. 
It  is,  however,  probable  that  he  first  imbibed  this  spirit  when 
a  child,  as  he  often  attended  his  father  to  the  prayer  meetings 
among  the  negroes  on  his  plantation.  He  always  loved  to 
speak  to  that  people  of  Jesus  and  his  salvation,  and  doubtless 
his  mind  was  even  then  turned  to  Africa,  which  became 
eventually  his  field  of  labor.  But,  not  only  did  the  negroes 
engage  his  attention,  but  he  embraced  every  opportunity  for 
doins;  ffood  to  the  souls  of  men.  His  evenings  were  then 
often  spent  in  distributing  tracts  and  books — in  talking  to 
and  praying  with  the  countrymen,  who  with  their  carts  around 
the  "  Old  Market/'  had  brought  their  produce  for  sale. 
Here  he  would  tell  them  of  the  Saviour,  and  publish  the 
glad  tidings  of  salvation.  Thus,  as  a  youth  dedicated  ta 
Christ's  service,  e;ich  year  gave  evidence  of  his  strong  and 
active  faith.  He  must  be  about  his  Father's  business  ;  and 
onward  to  the  end  with  Apostolic  zeal,  Christ  and  his  cross 
filled  his  heart,  and  employed  his  hands. 

In  his  eighteenth  year,  we  find  him  teaching  school  near 
Wilmington.,  Del.,  in  the  family  of  a  Mr.  Dupont,  for  the  pur- 


REV.    EDWIN   T.    WILLIAJIS.  357 

pose  of  securing  means  to  enable  him  to  enter  Princeton  Col- 
lege. From  the  necrological  record  of  the  College,  furnislied 
by  Prof.  H.  C.  Cameron,  we  find  that  he  must  have  matricu- 
lated in  18i7,  though  the  year  is  not  noted,  as  he  entered 
the  Sophomore  class  and  was  graduated  in  1850.  The  same 
3'ear,  1850,  he  entered  the  Princeton  Theological  Seminary, 
and  completed  the  prescribed  course  of  three  years  in  185-3. 
While  a  student  at  Princeton,  he  labored  diligently,  as  he 
did  in  everj^  other  place  of  his  abode  in  his  Divine  Master's 
cause.  He  often  spoke  of  this  period  of  his  life  with  great 
delight  and  gratitude,  as  being  among  the  most  successful 
and  pleasant.  He  said  God  had  honored  his  Aveak  efforts 
for  the  salvation  of  many  precious  souls.  He  spoke  especi- 
ally of  a  Eible  class  of  nine  young  ladies,  whom  it  was  his 
privilege  to  instruct.  Of  the  nine,  eight  gave  their  hearts 
to  Jesus  while  he  was  with  them.  One  alone,  he  remarked, 
seemed  indifferent  For  her,  his  sou!  struggled  in  prayer, 
bearin;^  her  up  in  the  arms  of  his  faith,  arid  earnestly  en- 
treating that  she  mio;ht  be  brought  to  the  acknowledgment 
of  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Christ.  But  still  she  remained  ap- 
parently uuconcerned.  Yet,  after  all,  itap[>eared  that  a  cov- 
enant-keeping God  was  faithful  to  his  promises — his  pray- 
ers were  answered. 

Long  years  after,  while  laboring  on  the  dark  shores  of 
Africa,  he  received  a  letter  written  in  London,  from  that 
same  lady,  which  filled  his  heart  with  joy.  She  had  only 
seemec^  indifferent.  The  seed  sown  had  sprung  up  and  brought 
forth  fruit  to  the-  glory  of  God.  She  hailed  him  as  her 
spiritual  father.  Of  these  nine  ladies,  three  became  mis- 
sionaries in  other  lands.  Thus  God  honors  the  labors  of  his 
servants.  Who  would  not  love  and  serve  such  a  Mas- 
ter ?  Jan.  l^it,  1853,  he  offered  himself  as  a  missionary  to  the 
Board  of  Foreign  Missions  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and 
was  accepted,  and  assigned  to  the  African  field  Jan.  ITth, 
1853.     After  completing  his  Theological  course,  he  was  11- 


KECROLCGY. 


censed  bv  tli'}  Presbytery  of  Georgia,  and  was  ordalneil  by  the 
same  in  the  summer  of  1853,  and  skilled  from  New  York  for 
Carisi;o,  Western  Africa,  November  8th,  1853.  ''Corisco  is 
an  island  very  nearly  under  the  equator,  and  fourteen  hun- 
dred n;iles  to  the  east,  and  south  of  Monrovia  in  Liberia, 
tlie  Anierican  Colony  of  free  blacks.  It  is  a  small  but  beau- 
tiful ishind,  about  twenty  miles  fcom  the  main  land.  It  is 
not  more  than  four  or  five  miles  in  length,  and  half  that  in 
width.  It  has  several  h'gh  hills  crowned  with  beautiful 
piilms  and  Dalmettoes.  This  mission  was  f  )undjd  in  1850, 
by  Messrs.  Maekey  and  Simpson,  assisted  by  Rev.  J.  Leigh- 
ton  Wilson,  D.  D.,  then  missionary  at  thh  Gaboon,  from 
which  it  Avas  distant  fifty  or  sixty  miles."  Previous  to  his  cni- 
bavk:5tion  for  Africa,  he  married  his  first  wife,  a  Miss  Sallie 
Dupree,  daughter  of  the  Ptev.  Mr.  Dupree,  a  minister  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  nc.ir  Charleston,  S.  C.  Says 
one:   "  She  was  a  very  interesting  and  talented  Lady." 

Mr.  Williams  remained  at  Corisco  only  some  two  or  three 
months,  when  he  was  compelled  to  return  to  this  country  on 
T'ccount  of  the  failure  of  his  wife's  health.  She  died  a  short 
time  after  their  return  at  Morristown,  N.  J.  It  was  during 
liis  stay  at  Corisco,  that  the  missionary  buildings  were  con- 
sumed by  fire,  by  which  he  lost  his  papers  and  journals — • 
otherwise  we  might  be  able  to  give  a  more  full  and  satisfac- 
tory history  of  that  mission  than  we  can  now  present. 

He  returned  to  New  York,  May  1st,  1854.  After  the 
death  of  Mrs.  W.,  he  went  South,  and  spent  some  time  in 
presenting  the  cause  of  Foreign  Missions  to  the  Churches. 
Upon  Ills  return  northv>'ard,  he  spent  a  year  or  more  in  the 
Domestic  Missionary  work,  in  connection  with  the  congrega- 
tion of  the  Rev.  Dr.  James  W.  Alexander,  in  New  York 
City. 

In  January,  1856,  his  thoughts  were  again  earnestly  di- 
rected to  the  subject  of  returning  to  the  Foreign  Missionary 
work.     It  seems  probable  that  this  was  a  suggestion  of  Dr. 


REV.    EDWIN    T.    WILLIAMS.  859 

Alexander.  A  school  had  been  founded  in  Monrovi-i,  Libe- 
ria, Africa,  culleii  the  "'Alex-incler  High  School,"  perhaps  in 
honor  of  Dr.  Archibald  Alexander.  Of  course,  liis  son  felt 
a  deep  interest  in  itj  success.  At  tha':  time  the  Rev.  D.  A. 
"Wilson,  of  Pennsvlvania,  was  at  its  head.  No  one  seemed  to 
be  better  qualified  for  the  p'>st  than  Bro.  Williams.  The 
record  in  his  jounral  of  the  interviews  with  Dr.  A.  on  the 
subject,  gives  a  pleasing  exhibition  of  these  tvfo  good  men, 
as  they  contemplated  the  importance  of  the  work.  Though 
it  would  be  a  much  more  laborious  one  than  the  field  he  now 
occupied,  (that  of  a  Domestic  Missionary  in  the  city  of  New 
York,)  yet,  it  would  be  more  simple,  and  there  was  no  com- 
parison between  his  present  field  and  Africa.  The  conclu- 
sion arrived  at,  was,  tlia*;'  he  should  go  to  Africa  as  a  teacher 
and  missionary  in  the  Alexander  High  School.  Arrange- 
ments were,  therefore,  immediately  put  on  foot  for  his  de- 
parture. But,  before  leaving  for  his  new  field  of  labor,  he 
determined  to  visit  his  native  plica,  and  once  more  hold  com- 
munion with  his  dear  friends,  and  bid  them  farewell — perhaps 
a  final  farewell.  Accordingly,  he  left  New  York  on  the  5th  of 
Fel).  1855,  proceeded  South.,  visiting  Princeton,  Yv^illmington, 
Del.,  (where  he  had  received  much  of  his  eaidy  education)  Rich- 
mond, Davidson  College,  Columbin,  Charleston,  and  St.  Au- 
gustine the  farthest  point  Sou'h,  wheve  he  arrived  on  the  11  ih 
or  12th  of  April.  After  visiting  fiiends  and  relations  in  St. 
Augustine,  Jacksonville,  Savannah,  and  Charleston,  ho  sailed 
thence  for  New  York  on  the  17th  of  May,  where  he  arrived 
on  the  20th  of  May.  He  paid  a  short  visit  to  Morristown, 
N.  J.,  where  reposed  the  dust  of  her  so  often  referred  to  in 
his  journals  as  "My  dear  Sallie,  my  precious  wife."  His 
arrangements  having  been  completed  for  his  voyage  to  Li- 
beria, he  embarked  on  board  the  schooner  Cortes,  on  the  7th 
of  June,  185G.  After  the  parting  religious  services  on  board 
the  ship,  which  were  conducted  by  the  Rev.  Drs.  J.  C.  Low- 
rie  and  J.   Leightwi  Wilson,  of  the  Missionary  Board,  the 


360  NECROLOGY. 


vessel  dropped  down  to  Sandy  Hook,  whence  she  sailed  on 
the  9th,  at  1  P.  M.,  and  he  nates  in  his  dairy,  "  hy  sunset, 
my  native  land  had  faded  well  nigh  from  view."  There  is 
hut  one  entry  in  his  jonrnal  curing  the  voyage.  That  was 
made  on  the  12th  of  June :  "  The  anniversary  of  my  precious 
wife's  dying  day."  It  was  a  day  he  never  forgot,  whether 
on  sea  or  land — amid  the  toils  and  self-denials  of  missionary 
life,  or  the  sweet  charities  of  home  and  Christian  society. 
Ho  arrived  in  Monrovia  on  the  17th  of  July,  1856.  A 
few  days  afterward,  he  entered  upon  his  work  in  the  school- 
The  mathematical  department  was  the  principal  field  of  in- 
struction assigned  him.  He  preached  as  he  had  opportu- 
nity, and  imparted  religious  instruction  to  his  classes.  His 
life  seems  to  have  been  very  monotonous.  He  soon  began 
to  feel  the  unhealthiness  of  the  climate.  Indeed,  we  find 
him  taking  quinine  within  three  days  after  his  arrival,  rather, 
Ave  suppose,  as  a  preventive,  than  from  any  real  indisposition- 
Chills  and  fever  were  to  be  guarded  against, — the  acclima- 
ting African  fever.  In  December,  he  made  his  mission;iry 
tour  up  the  St.  Paul's  River.  During  this  journey,  he  vis- 
ted  several  native  tOAvns,  and  preached  by  aid  of  an  interpre- 
ter. In  the  same  month  he  made  a  second  missionay  tour  "  to 
visit  other  heathen  towns."  He  gives  us  the  names  of  sev- 
eral of  these  towns,  such  as  "Gains'  town,  Gizi's  town,  Jalipa's 
town,  Ebo's  towm,"  and  his  reflections  on  what  he  saw  in  these 
journeyings  among  the  heathen  are  deeply  interesting,  but 
too  extensive  to  be  given  here.  In  January,  1857,  he  ex- 
perienced his  first  attack  of  chills,  probably  induced  by  his 
travels  in  the  interior.  Of  the  danger  of  these  journeys  in  the 
country,  he  remarks  he  had  been  warned  by  President  Ben- 
son and  others.  P>ut  we  find  him  in  a  few  days  again  in  the 
school  room  in  the  active  discharge  of  his  duties.  In  March, 
1857,  his  fellow- laborer.  Rev.  D.  A.  Wilson,  loft  him  and 
returned  to  the  United  States  Avith  his  family.  This  was  a  sore 
trial  to  Lira.   lie  thus  notes  this  incident  in  his  journal  of  the  17 


REV.    EDWIN    T.    WILLIAMS.  o61 

March,  1857:  "Accompanied  them  to  McGills  wharf — many 
tears  of  parting  friends — hastened  up  to  the  light-house,  and 
sat  till  dark,  when  the  anchor  seemed  weighed  and  them- 
selves on  their  way.  I  wept  on  the  cape  and  on  the  rock, 
this  evenino;,  engaged  in  meditation,  self-examination  and 
prayer  in  view  of  my  responsibilities  and  need  of  Divine 
grace.  I  was  filled  with  much  trembling  in  view  of  my  sins  ; 
but  enabled,  I  trust,to  triumph  in  Christ,  as  my  righteousness 
and  substitute.  I  am  left  alone,  yet  how?  Is  not  God  my 
heavenly  Father,  my  Saviour  here  ?  They  have  not  gone  to 
America.  Then  let  me,  trusting  in  Him,  go  cheerfully, 
prayerfully,  and  hopefully  to  my  work.  God's  dealings 
with  uie  are  all  mercy,  mercy,  mercy ;  my  returns  are  in- 
gratitude and  sin."  He  felt  the  responsibility  now  devolved 
on  him,  more  sensibly,  in  this,  that  the  business  transactions 
of  the  Mission  had  been  hitherto  carried  on  by  Mr.  Wilson- 
These  duties  were  now  necessarily  assumed  by  him.  He 
notes  his  gralificiar/ion  upon  discovering,  a  day  or  two  after, 
among  the  books  left  by  Mr.  W.,  a  copy  of  Mahew  on  book- 
keeping. He  remarks,  that  he  esteemed  it  quite  providen- 
tial, since  it  was  just  what  he  needed  to  guide  him  in  business 
operations.  In  the  same  month  he  had  a  return  of  chills 
and  fever,  and  began  fully  to  realize  the  enervating  influ- 
ence of  the  climate.  He  complains  of  his  inability  to  think 
or  compose  his  mind  for  anything. 

As  we  trace  the  life  and  labors  of  the  missionary  on  a  for- 
eign shore,  and  in  a  sickly  climate,  far  separated  from  the  SAveet 
charities  of  his  native  homo,  we  are  impressed  more  and  more 
with  his  need  of  sustaining  grace.  Who  but  the  Ciiristain 
endued  with  a  high  degree  of  spirituality,  and  enjoying  intimate 
communion  and  fellowship  v/ith  his  Saviour,  could  main- 
tain a  cheerful  spirit,  exposed  daily  to  sickness  and  dangers  of 
a  speedy  death.  Nothing  but  a  faith  that  triumphs,  as  seeing 
him  who  is  invisible,  can  give  courage  at  such  a  time.  In 
confirmation  of  this,  we  quote  from  the  journal  of  Bro.  "\Vil- 


36-^  ISIECROLOGY. 


lianis,  Whoii  be  was  left  alono  bj  the  return  of  hU  fellow-labor- 
ei-  to  the  Unitcl  Srates,  suffering,  illnosssand  solitarinc:^?,  he 
siys:  "I  am  reminded  oftentimes  of  the  posi^ibili^y  of  my 
dying  here.  But,  through  grace  it  does  not  ahirm  me.  It 
loads  mo  to  apply  more  carnesny  to  Jesus  for  an  assured 
interest  in  his  blood,  and  to  leave  myself  at  his  di:^-posal. 
Visions. of  home  and  loved  ones  ofcen  appe  ir  bright  before  me, 
but,  here  is  my  duty,  and  here,  therefore,  is  my  Saviour  : 
here  is  my  choice.  I  only  pr;iy  for  grace  to  be  worthy  of 
him."  His  journals  exhibit  little  else  than  alternations 
of  chills  and  fever  through  the  ensuing  summer  ;  yet,  at- 
tending to  his  duties  in  the  school,  preaching  occasionally, 
and  conducting  the  business  of  the  Mission,  wdiich  he 
found  exceedingly  perplexing.  Exhausted  by  repeated  at- 
tacks and  incessant  labors,  on  the  8th  of  November  he  was 
staicken  down  by  congestion  of  the  brain.  He  thus  re- 
cords the  facts  after  his  recovery  :  "  Eventful  day  !  Brought 
to  the  brink  of  the  eternal  world  ;  unconscious  of  my  situa- 
tion, I  can  only  record  what  ray  friend-;  h.vve  since  commu- 
nicated to  me."  He  writes  again  on  the  11th  of  November  : 
"Awoke  to  consciousness — to  a  sense  of  ray  still  feeble  con- 
dition, and  to  some  appreciation  of  the  greatness  of  my 
deliverence.  I  trust  if  I  had  been  caded  away,  through  riches 
of  sovereign  grace  alone,  I  should  have -been  received  up 
into  heaven." 

It  became  evident  that  he  needed  a  change  of  climate,  and 
that  he  must  be  relieved,  at  least  for  a  season,  from  his  du- 
ties to  recuperate  his  wasted  strength.  Providentially,  a 
very  excellent  opportunity  was  soon  presented,  which  heat 
once  embraced.  On  the  14th  of  November,  the  United 
States  frigate  Cumberland,  belonging  to  the  African  Squad- 
ron, was  at  Monrovia,  bound  to  the  Cape  de  Vcrd  Islands. 
Application  was  made  to  her  commander,  Commodore  Cono- 
ver,  to  grant  him  a  passage  to  his  destination,  which  was 
readily  and  kindly  granted.     The  ne.\t   day  he  went  aboard 


r^EV.    EDWIX    T.    WILLIAMS.  363 

anci  was  generous!}'-  Avelcomed  by  the  Commodore  and  Cap- 
tain Missroon,  and  sailed  nt  noon  the  s'lme  day.  Translated 
from  the  miasmatic  atmosphere  of  tlie  Liberia n  coast  to  the 
pure  and  exliiicrating  air  of  the  Atlantic,  he  is  soon  restored 
to  his  native  bur.janc}'  of  spirit,  and  enters  upon  his  work 
of  doing  cood,  collecting  the  mariners  in  the  bows,  preach- 
ing to  them,  and  instructing  the  boys  in  a  Bible-class.  On 
the  30th  of  November,  at  daylight  they  made  the  Island  of 
j\Iayo,  one  of  the  Csipo  de  Verd  group.  He  describes  tlds 
Island  as  rugged,  a  bare  mountainous  surface,  without  any 
vegetation,  save  in  the  valleys.  One  high  mountain  or  hill, 
a  thousand  or  two  feet  high,  capp'?d  with  white  stones.  The 
Northeast  trade-winds  prevail  here.  There  is  much  table- 
land, from  100  to- 400  feet  elevation;  the  soil  is  unproduc- 
tive, parched,  and  but  one  spring  on  the  Inland.  On  the 
Southwest,  a  san-ly  bay,  called  English  bay,  within  which  is 
the  town  and  extensive  salt-pans,  abundiince  of  fish,  which, 
.wit'i  a  few  vegetables,  afford  the  only  food  of  the  inhabitant:-, 
who  are  Portugese  and  Blacks."  Leaving  Mayo,  St.  Jago 
soon  loomed  in  sight,  being  only  fifteen  miles  distant,  ex- 
ceedingly rugged,  and  equal  in  barreness  to  Mayo  ;  the  shore 
precipitous,  800  or  1000  feet  in  places,  and  sufficient  depth 
of  water  to  sail  within  a  stone's  throw  of  the  shore.  Here 
they  anchored  off  Porto  Praya,  about  dinner  time,  having 
been  about  two  weeks  from  Monrovia.  This  was  the  desti- 
nati')n  of  the  ship,  and  found  the  ship  St.  Louis  still  await- 
ing her  relief,  and  the  store-ship.  There  they  remained 
until  the  25th  of  December,  when  the  Vincennes  arrived  from 
the  United  States  to  relieve  the  Cumberland.  He  spent  his 
time  very  pleasantly  at  Porto  Praya,  on  board  of  ship,  and 
in  rambles  about  the  town  and  the  Island;  the  inhabitants 
are  mostly  negroes,  described  as  wretchedly  ignorant  and 
immoral.  Having  taken  leave  of  the  officers  and  crew  of  the 
Cumberland  he  was  transferred  on  board  the  Vincennes, 
which  was  bound  down  the  coast  to  Cape  Palmas.     On  the 


364  NECROLOGY. 


27th  of  December,  we  find  him  again  at  sea,  driven  on  by  "a 
stiff  Northeast  trade-^Yind,  with  miserable  health  and  miser- 
able weather."  He  writes,  so  violent  was  the  scorm  that  they 
could  not  have  divine  service  on  the  Sabbath.  On  the  oO;h 
and  31st  of  December,  they  vv^ere  becalmed,  and  on  the  3d  of 
January,  1858,  they  made  Sierra  Leone.  There  he  spent 
several  days  pleasantly,  being  entertained  kindly  by  the 
missionaries  of  the  United  Brethren  and  the  Lady  Hunting- 
don Church.  On  Sabbath,  the  10th  of  January,  the  ship 
weighed  anchor  and  put  to  sea.  January  19th,  made  Cape 
Mount,  hoped  to  have  reached  Monrovia  Sunday,  but  the 
weather  being  unfavorable,  came  to  anchor.  On  the  20tli, 
at  8  o'clock,  Cape  Mesurado  appeared  in  view — took  a  boat 
at  1  o'clock  and  was  soon  at  his  mission  home,  after  an  ab- 
sence of  some  two  months.  He  says,  "I  was  brought  off  in 
a  chair ;  I  return  well."  He  met  with  a  warm  reception 
from  his  many  friends  who  rejoiced  to  receive  him  safe  and 
sound.  A  few  days,  and  he  is  again  at  his  post  in  the  school. 
But,  although  restored  to  health  and  comfort  by  journayings 
at  sea,  he  is  not  shielded  from  the  assaults  of  disease.  His 
old  enemy,  chill  and  fever,  attacked  him  again,  in  the  follow- 
ing March.  In  April,  he  again  left  his  home,  and  went  to 
Harrisburg,  a  village  on  the  hills,  hoping  to  find  exemption 
from  sickness  in  the  purer  atmosphere  of  that  elevated  re- 
gion, but  was  evidently  disappointed.  Almost  every  page 
of  his  journal  is  marked /eyer,  fever  again.  He  returned  to 
Monrovia  about  the  middle  of  May,  and  continues  to  write, 
almost  every  day,  cJdll  and  liot  feoer.  On  the  2Gth  of  May, 
lie  was  invited  by  the  officers  of  the  United  States  ship 
Marion,  then  in  port,  to  go  to  Cape  Palmas,  whither  she  was 
bound.  He  accepted  the  invitation,  and  went  aboard  on  the 
26th.  Every  provision  was  made  for  his  comfort.  Ho  vis- 
ited, on  this  voyage,  many  of  the  towns  on  the  coast,  such  as 
the  Bassa  people,  Fish  town.  Rock  town,  and  Garroway,  and 
June  3d,  reached  Cape  Palmas.     Having  spent  several  weeks 


REV.   EDWIN    T.    WILLIAMS.  865 

visiting  many  places  on  the  coast,  he  returned  to  his  home  the 
last  of  July.  Here  he  remained  conducting  the  business  of 
the  Mission,  until  January,  1859,  when  he  left  again  and 
proceeded  down  the  coast  to  attend  Presbytery  at  Sinoe. 
On  this  trip,  he  visited  Greenville,  Bassa  Cove,  Edina  and 
Buchannan.  lie  returned  to  Monrovia  on  the  13th  of  Feb- 
ruary. At  length,  enfeebled  by  constant  ill  health  he  deter- 
mined to  return  to  the  United  States.  It  was  a  day  of  ten- 
der and  affecting  farewells  when  he  took  his  leave  of  the  peo- 
ple. The  children  gathered  around  him,  and  told  him  of 
their  Christian  hopes,  and  bade  him  adieu.  On  the  5th  of 
June,  1859,  he  embarked  on  the  brig  President  Benson. 
After  being  at  sea  thirty-seven  days,  he  reached  the  Chesa- 
peake Bay,  and  Baltimore,  July  11th,  1859.  Thence  he 
visited  Philadelphia,  New  York  and  Morriston,  New  Jersey, 
where  his  wife  was  buried.  After  spending  several  months 
in  the  Northern  and  New  Englond  churches,  present- 
ing the  cause  of  Foreign  Missions,  he  returned  to  his  native 
South  and  bosom  of  his  own  loved  family.  "Again  and 
again,"  says  his  sister,  Mrs.  Gibbs,  of  St.  Augustine, 
after  going  down  almost  to  the  brink  of  the  river,  where 
Jesus  was  ever  his  joy,  God  was  pleased  to  restore  him  to 
health  and  strength,  a  little  longer  to  bear  the  cross."  Dur- 
ing the  year  1860,  he  traveled  much  as  agent  for  the  Mission- 
ary cause,  both  North  and  South.  It  was  his  desire  to  re- 
turn to  Africa  to  his  chosen  work,  but  the  war  intervening', 
be  was  constrained  to  abandrn  the  idea.  The  first  year  of 
the  war  he  preached  to  a  small  church  in  Bryan  county,  Ga., 
near  Savannah.  He  was  present  at  the  meeting  of  the  first 
Confederate  General  Assembly,  in  Augusta,  December,  1861. 
In  that  year  he  received  a  call  from  the  Presbyterian  Church 
in  Quincy,  Florida.  As  he  could  not  return  to  his  chosen 
field  of  labor  lie  felt  it  to  be  his  duty  to  accept  it.  He  travel- 
ed extensively  during  this  year  among  the  churches  of  Florida 
and  Georgia.    In  May  186].,  he  went  North,  passing  by  rail 


?SQ  NECEOLOGY. 


to  Louisville.  At  Atlanta  he  encountered  troubles  of  v.liicli  the 
Wiiter  of  these  pages  has  some  knowledge.  lie  thus  rcmaiks 
in  his  journal,  "  Realized  this  morning  that  war  has  been  in- 
augurated in  the  land.  Suspicions  weve  excitvd  hy  our  liag- 
gage,  especially  one,  a  strange  trunk,  inischecked  as  Mrs. 
jSTuman,  at  Macon.  A  mob,  fierce  and  (ktermined,  g-uhersd 
on  the  phatform  and  ppoke  threateningly — heard  them  speak 
of  hanging."  Ills  baggige  was  examined,  but  nothing  found 
wrong,  lie  received  a  ccrtificitte  to  that  effeet  from  the 
Mayor,  and'  prcceeded  without  farther  molestation  on  his 
journey.  He  accepted  the  call  to  become  the  pastor  of  the 
Qaincy  Church,  and  probably  removed  to  tliat  phace  some- 
time in  18'd2,  (for  with  18G1,  his  written  jai:  nal  closes  and 
we  have  no  certain  dates  as  to  the  time  of  the  commence- 
ment of  his  labors  in  that  fi-dd.)  He  was  instalhd  Pastor  in 
1.!'53.  He  contracted  a  second  roarriage,  which  was  Ci-Tisum- 
mated  ISlovembcr  12th,  I860,  with  Mary  Cadierine,  daugli- 
.  ter  of  Judge  William  Fleming,  of  Savannah. 

He  continued  to  labor  in  this  place  with  greai"  success,  and 
acc'^ptableness  to  the  people.  Early  in  th'^  month  of  Ai'.gust, 
18(JG,  he  was  attacked  with  erysipelas,  and  on  the  0th  of  that 
month  he  died. 

The  followiiig  note  was  addressed  to  his  sister  on  the  day 
following,  infoiming  her  of  his  decease  : 

August  10th,  ISGd. 
You  have  heard,  my  dear  J.Frs.  Gibbs,  of  the  death  of  your 
dear  brothtr,  and  our  beloved  pa^tor.  I  have  taken  my  pen 
at  the  request  of  Mrs.  Wdliaras,  to  say  to  y^u,  how  mach  she 
would  like  to  see  you,  in  her  sad  afliiction.  She  is  as  com- 
posed as  we  Could  expect  under  the  circumstances.  O'a  I  my 
dear  Mrs.  G'.bbs,  we  have  all  been  sorely  aillicted.  That 
dear  man  h'lS  passed  from  us  so  suddenly  that  we  can,  as  yet, 
scarcely  realize  it.  It  was  my  privilege  to  be  with  him  part 
of  the  last  tv/o  niii:hts  of  his  life.     He  must  have  suffered  the 


EEV.    EDWIX   T.    WILLIAMS.  S6'7 


first  niglit,  as  tlie  disease  was  so  rapid,  so  very  rapiil,  Eoth 
Doctors  pronounced  his  case  tlic  most  progressive  they  have 
ever  known,  and  they  had  had  much  experience  in  the  war 
with  his  disease — erysipelas.  Not  even  a  groan  was  heard. 
Ho  couM  say  lait  little,  as  ho  soon  lost  his  ccnsciousness,  but 
I  heard  him  say,  "  Oh  !  whether  I  live,  may  I  live  unto  t!;c 
Lord,  and  whether  I  die  may  I  die  unto  the  Lord  !"  I  thiiik 
he  had  no  hopes  or  himself,  a  very  few  hours  after  he  was 
taken  ill.  Indec:d,  ho  was  too  pure  a  spirit  for  this  s'nfiil 
world,  and  God  torik  him  to  Himself.  May  our  piayer  be 
that  this  great  aliliction  may  be  sanciified  to  us  all.  Thosigh 
being  dead  he  yet  speaketh,   "  be  ye  also  ready." 

]Mr.  Crane  pi-eached  his  funeral  sermon  Thursday,  to  a 
very  crowd.ed  lijusc.  J):.  DuBose  will  pre.tch  to-nu.rruw, 
and  will  Vv'rite  his  obituary. 

Believe  mt'  to  be,  your  sympatliizing  friend, 

S.    R.    GiLCIlEIST. 

"We  have  now  followed  the  footsteps  of  this  godly  man  fr'^m 
chjldiiood  to  the  closing  scene  of  life's  short  journev.  Four 
tinics  be  cn.ssed  ihe  Atlantic  ;  many  moriths  and  yeais  he 
spent  on  the  African  coast.  We  find  him  journeying  and 
visiting  all  the  Uiost  important  p.-  ints  on  that  <buk  and  sickly 
coa!-t  fiom  the  Isle  of  Corisco  under  the  Equatoi-  to  the  Cape 
deVerd  L^lands,  lo  degrees  north  latitude,  either  in  prose- 
cution of  his  work  or  seeking  health  r.nd  strength.  His 
record  for  diligence  and  zeal  will  vroll  compare  with  the  most 
zealous  of  those  Apostolic  men  wlio  have  gone  forth  intn  the 
heathen  world  to  rns'.ke  known  the  gospel  of  salvation.  None 
but  those  who  have  bad  the  inspection  of  his  private  journals 
can  fonu  any  correct  estimate  of  his  i'iner  spiritual  life. 
These  jr.ui-nala,  consisting  of  six  closely  v/ritten  volumes,  un- 
fold a  life  of  earnest  action,  of  unif.i-m  piety,  of  fervent  zeal 
for  the  glory  of  God,  and  the  salvation  of  all  with  whom  he 
had  intLrcoiirse.     Not  only  at  bis  missionary  home,  but  when 


368  NECROLOGY. 


travelling  by  land  or  sea,  to  regain  his  wasted  strength,  did 
he  labor  without  intermission  to  promote  the  spiritual  welfare 
of  those  around  him.  When  he  goes  to  the  Cape  de  Verd 
Islands  on  board  the  United  States  ship  Cumberland,  he 
labors  diligently  among  the  mariners,  by  forming  Bible 
classes  and  preaching.  When  transferred  to  the  Yincennes, 
on  his  return  to  Monrovia,  he  is  again  employed  in  the  same 
work ;  and  so  wherever  he  went  it  was  his  meat  and  his 
drink  to  be  doing  good  as  he  had  opportunity.  His  life  and 
labors  contrast  favorably  with  those  of  Brainard,  Eliot, 
Henry  Martin  and  Moffat  in  doing  the  will  of  his  Heavenly 
Father,  and  spreading  the  knowledge  of  the  Saviour. 

His  journals  bear  testimony,  not  only  to  the  fact  that  he 
was  diligent  in  business,  fervent  in  spirit,  serving  the  Lord, 
but  that  he  was  an  observant  man.  Nothing  escaped  his 
watchful  eye,  whether  on  shore  or  on  shipboard.  He  travers- 
ed the  Island  of  St.  Jago,  while  lying  at  anchor  off  Porto 
Praya,  oa  foot— ascended  its  volcanic  mountains — notices  it 
peculiar  formation — its  trees — the  production  of  its  soil — 
the  character  of  its  debased  inhabitants.  So  did  he  at  Sierra 
Leone. 

His  correspondence  gives  proof  of  a  tender  and  affectionate 
heart.  His  attachment  to  his  relatives  and  friends  was  ar- 
dent. We  give  an  extract  or  two  from  letters  addressed  to 
his  sister.  The  first  was  written  when  at  school,  near  Wil- 
mington, Del.,  in  1845.  We  would  have  the  reader  particu- 
ly  note  the  pious  and  devotional  spirit  pervading  these  ex- 
tracts. The  same  spirit  is  manifest  in  all  he  ever  wrote,  eith- 
er journals  or  correspondence — when  young  or  more  advanc- 
ed in  years.  They  bear  evidence  of  a  heart  deeply  imbued 
with  the  love  of  Christ.     But  to  the  extract : — 

"Dear  Sister  Laura  :  Here  I  am  again  writing  to  her, 
'whom  in  very  truth  my  soul  loveth,'  and  who,  though  far  ab- 
sentj.beyond  the  privilege  of  social  intercourse,  still  in  thought, 
imagination,  and    fond  remembrance,  is  ever  present,  yea, 


m 


REV.   EDWIN   T.    WILLIAMS.  369 


within  the  deep  and  welcome  recesses  of  my  earnest  heart. 
Your  sisterly  communication  came  joyfully  to  hand  a  week 
or  two  since,  and  would  have  been  imraedi^tely  answered,  had 
not  I  written  the  week  before.  For  the  advice  given  me,  as 
endeavoring  to  maintain  a  cheerful  spirit  in  all  my  religious 
intercouse,  I  thank  you,  and  shall  so  far  esteem  it,  as  that  it 
shall  "be  my  constant  aim,  in  the  strength  of  the  Lord,  to  cul- 
tivate this  sweet  spirit  of  our  Saviour  to  the  utmost  of  my 
ability.  Such  a  walk,  if  consistant,  I  feel  assured  will  do 
more  to  recommend  the  religion  of  the  cross  to  those  uninter- 
ested in  its  holy  realities,  than  a  thousand  examples  of  an  op- 
posite character;  for  if  the  Christian  pilgrim  who  journeys, 
leaning  on  the  bosom  of  his  Saviour,  and  oftimes  from  many 
a  Pisgah's  top  'surveys  the  landscape  o'er,'  should  not  re- 
joice with  joy  exceeding  and  full  of  glory — tell  me  who  should? 
Should  not  he  rejoice,  who,  though  wandering  in  a  barren  wil- 
derness, yet  has  given  him  by  his  Father,  God,  the  grapes  and 
figs,  and  rich  pomegranates  of  his  heavenly  Eschol  as  an 
earnest  or  foretaste  of  the  promised  land :  under  such  circum- 
stances, and  with  the  everlasting  arms  of  Jesus  for  his  sup- 
port in  life,  in  death,  and  eternal  glory,  where,  0  where ! — 
search  the  wide  woorld  o'er — can  gloom  be  found  ? 

"What  though  our  inward  lusts  rebel, 
"  Tis'  but  a  struggling  garp  for  life ; 
"  The  weapons  of  victories  grace, 
"  Shall  slay  our  sins 
"  And  end  the  strife." 

Soon  shall  we  hear  our  Father  say,  '  Come  ye  blessed  child- 
ren inherit  the  Kingdom  ;  soon  will  he  call  us  hence,  and 
take  his  wanderers  home ;  soon  shall  our  raptured  tongues. 
His  endless  praise  proclaim,  and  sweeter  voices  tune  the 
song  of  Moses  and  the  Lamb." 

The  above  extract  presents  a  pleasing  picture  of  an  affeo- 
tionate  pious  youth,  distant  from  his  native  home  and  much 
loved  relatives. 
24 


370  '  NECKOLOQY. 


The  following  extract,  is  from  a  letter  addressed  to  the 
same  beloved  sister  from  Monrovia,  dated  November,  1858, 
consoling  her  under  a  heavy  bereavement  she  had  experienc- 
ed. It  shows  his  sympathy  and  resources  of  comfort  for  the 
heart  stricken.  After  mentioning  his  own  condition,  health, 
and  prospects,  he  observes  :  "Little  did  I  dream  that  this  year 
would  prove  one  of  such  overwhelming  grief  to  your  heart.  But 
we  need  not  be  surprised  at  this  ;  God  gives  not  account  to 
any  of  his  creatures,  of  his  purposed  and  specific  dealings 
with  them.  They  are  too  deep,  too  mysteriously,  yet  sure- 
ly and  graciously,  interwoven  with  the  wonderous  complexi- 
ties of  his  providence;  our  finite  minds  could  not  grasp  their 
innumerable  relations,  nor  see  how  in  ten  thousand  times  ten 
thousand  ways,  they  are  to  promote  the  glory  of  the  Saviour, 
and  effect  the  welfare  of  the  entire  people  of  God.  But  this 
one  thing  our  heavenly  Father  does  to  all  his  children,  to 
all  who  are  his  in  Christ  Jesus,  to  all  such  he  utters  the  sweet 
assurance — ^  All  is  well  ;  it  is  I,  bo  not  afraid.'  All  things 
shall  work  together  for  good,  to  them  that  love  God,  to  them 
who  are  the  called,  according  to  his  purpose.         *          * 

\Yhatever  brings  Jesus  near,  makes  his  love  and  presence 
more  desirable  and  precious,  shut  out  from  our  view  this 
world,  and  opens  more  clearly  heaven  and  the  beauties  of  ho- 
liness in  that  upper  world.  These  are  truly  gracious  gifts 
of  God ;  and  however  hot,  they  are  the  furnace  of  infinite 
love  and  tenderness.  So  I  believe  you  will  find  it  to  be  the 
case  in  the  death  of  dear  George ;  and  the  more  precious, 
the  taore  reflecting  the  Saviour's  grace  and  tenderness,  by 
so  much  the  more  as  was  tlie  affliction  keen  and  poignant. 
Trust  in  Jesus — seek  rather  to  have  the  stroke  sanctified  to 
you  and  the  whole  family,  and  the  Church ;  seek  rather  to 
have  Jesus  glorified,  than  to  have  the  wound  healed.  I  only 
pray  God  may  help  me  to  say  something  which  may  lead  to 
this  result.  "This  is  the  will  of  God,  even  your  sanctifica- 
tion,'  and   the   Saviour  who  came  to   do   the   Father's  will. 


REV.    EDWIN    T,    WILLIAMS.  371 

already  seems  to  be  beginning  this  blessed  work  in  your  heart. 
Then, 

"  With  patient  mind  thy  course  of  dut)^  run ; 

God  nothing  does,  nor  suffers  to  be  done, 
Bat  thou  would'st  do  thyself,  if  thou  could'st  see, 

The  end  of  all  he  does  as  well  as  he." 

Here  we  have  not  only  the  gospel  assurance  that  all  ihiiigs 
work  together  for  good  to  them  that  love  God,  but  the  addition- 
al and  comforting  consideration, that  God  in  his  infinite  wisdom 
and  love,  is  only  doing  in  his  most  afflictive  dealings  with  us, 
what  we  would  do  ourselves,  if  we  could  see  the  end  of  all  he 
does,  as  well  as  he.  Jesus  knows  the  malady  of  every  heart, 
the  peculiar  dangers  to  which  each  one  is  exposed,  and  he 
knows  the  remedies, — so  our  prayer  should  be  in  our  afflic- 
tion, that  if  may  please  God  to  draw  off  the  heart  from  earth- 
ly attachments — from  the  pursuit  of  its  riches,  honors,  pleas- 
ures and  cares — that  our  affections  should  not  be  set  on  the 
things  on  the  earth,  but  on  things  above  where  Christ  sitteth 
at  the  right  hand  of  God  ;  yea  upon  Christ  himself.  It  is  he 
who  is  only  our  life,  and  happiness,  and  wisdom,  and  it  is  on- 
ly when  we  shall  find  in  him  our  all  that  we  shall  glorify  him 
as  we  ought,  and  be  perfectly  blessed  in  his  love!  0  for 
grace  to  know  nothing  on  earth  save  Jesus  Christ  and  him  cru- 
cified— to  know  no  other  love,  no  other  hope,  no  other  ser- 
vice but  his  ;  and  welcome  through  his  grace  whatever  furna- 
ces, heated  never  so  many  times  hotter  thin  they  are  wont  to 
be  heated,  if  only  they  are  to  comsume  our  dross,  and  make 
us  fitter  subjects  for  our  Saviour's  work  and  praise. 

God  vjill  have  us  to  serve  the  Lord  our  God  with  all  our 
hearts,  with  all  our  souls,  with  all  our  strength,  and  all  our 
minds*  But  to  this  our  carnal,  worldly  minds  are  natunilly 
opposed  The  dross  of  sin  and  corruption  must,  therefore, 
beco-nsumed — God  cannot,  will  not  suffer  his  pure  gold  to  be 
lost  or  injured.  The  furnace  is  necessary  and  into  it,  heated 
not  one  whit  less,,  not  one  whit  more  than  Jesus  deteruiiues, 


372  NECROLOGY. 


lie  casts  his  gold.  Not  one  among  the  millions  of  the  redeem- 
ed in  glorj,  but  has  passed  through  these  very  furnaces,  and 
have  felt  the  presence  of  one  like  unto  the  Son  of  Man,  sus- 
taining, cheering  and  encouraging  them  with  hopes  of  the  final 
and  glorious  consummation  !  But,dear  sister,  let  us  wait ;  kiss 
every  rod,  honor  Jesus  before  the  world,  and  for  the  comfort 
of  all  his  other  sorrowing  children, by  yielding  sweet  and  cheer- 
ful acquiescence  to  the  most  afflictive  of  his  dispensations — un- 
furl every  sail,  and  spread  them  wide,  that  you  may  be  waft- 
ed,the  sooner,  by  every  blast  of  sorrow  into  the  haven  of  eternal 
rest ;  and  if  God  would  have  more  of  our  poor  sinful  hearts  by 
thus  dealing  with  us,  0  let  him  have  them.  '  I  see  God  is  deter- 
mined to  have  all  vaj  heart,  and  he  shall  have  it,'  said  a  lady 
with  deep  Christian  submission,  when  she  received  news  of 
the  drowning  of  two  of  her  children,  whom  she  tenderly  loved. 
It  is  recorded  of  an  ancient  patriarch,  who,  upon  the  announce- 
ment of  the  death  of  all  his  children,  'arose  and  rent  his  man- 
tle and  shaved  his  head,  and  fell  down  upon  the  ground, 
and  worshipped,  and  said,  naked  came  I  out  of  my  mothers 
womb,  and  naked  shall  I  return  thither.  The  Lord  gave  and 
the  Lord  hath  taken  away,  blessed  be  the  name  of  the  Lord.' 
And  said  the  Saviour, '  He  that  loveth  wife  or  children  more 
than  me  is  not  worthy  of  me.'  A  martyr  was  once  asked 
whether  ho  did  love  his  wife  and  children,  who  stood  weep- 
ing by  him  ?  Love  them  !  yes,  said  he,  if  all  the  world  w^ere 
gold  and  at  my  disposal,  I  would  give  it  all  for  the  satisfac- 
tion of  living  with  them,  though  it  were  in  a  prison.  Yet  in 
comparison  with  Christ,  I  love  them  not.'  This  is  the  spirit 
which  honors  Christ." 

We  trust  we  shall  be  forgiven  by  the  reader  of  this  me- 
moir, for  the  long  extract.  Our  object  has  been  to  exhibit 
the  spirit  of  this  servant  of  Christ — his  tender  and  aifection- 
ate  condolence  with  his  bereaved  sister — and  may  we  not  hope 
that  his  words  may  bring  comfort  to  some  other  stricken 
heart. 


HEV.    EDWIN    T.    WILLIAMS.  37o 

But  it  is  tim3  to  bring  to  a  close  tins  brief  sketch  of  the 
life  and  services  of  our  departed  brother — not  because  there 
is  want  of  material  fur  a  much  more  extended  and  elaborate 
record  of  the  life,  trials,  and  labors  of  this  servant  of  Christ. 
But  the  record  is  not  needed  on  ciu-th — it  is  on  high.  Ills 
name  and  works  are  in  the  book  of  Divine  remembrance. 

In  summing  up  his  character  as  a  man,  a  scholar,  a  theolo- 
gian, a  pastor,  and  an  efficient  laborer  in  his  Master's  vine- 
yard, we  shall  now  turn  to  the  declarations  of  those  who  knew 
him  best,  and  loved  him  most. 

We  quote  again  from  the  Necrological  Record  of  Nassau 
Hall :  "  A  man  of  fair  talents  and  good  scholarship,  of  kind- 
ly manners  and  loving  disposition,  he  w;!S  still  more  remark- 
able for  his  ardent,  active  and  humble  piety,  for  his  intense- 
devotion  to  the  work  of  saving  souls.  In  this  respect  ho  was 
a  model,  and  seemed  to  lose  no  occasion  of  doing  good  to  oth- 
ers. Those  who  knew  him  while  in  Princeton  and  in  the 
foreign  field  need  nothing  to  remind  them  of  his  earnest 
Christ-like  piety  ;  to  others,  the  devotion  of  his  life  to  Africa 
and  the  spiritual  benefit  of  the  colored  race,  will  be  a  proof 
of  his  character,  and  a  testimony  to  all  of  the  truth  and  pow- 
er of  that  religion  which  lie  professed." 

But  let  us  draw  nearer  and  hear  from  those  who  stood  in 
the  more  endearing  and  intimate  relation  of  a  people  to  whom, 
as  a  pnstor,  he  broke  the  bread  of  life.  The  following  trib- 
ute of  respect  and  love  was  paid  to  his  memory  by  the  con- 
gregation of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Quincy  : 

"  Whei'eas,  Almighty  God,  merciful  and  gracious  and  just, 
has  been  pleased  in  his  inscrutable  Providence,  to  visit  the 
members  and  the  congregition  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of 
Quincy,  with  a  sad  distressing  afl!liction,  in  the  death  of  our 
beloved  pastor,  Rev.  E.  T.  Williams,  the  devoted  Christian, 
and  eminently  a  man  of  prayer,  which  occurred  at  3  o'clock 
on  Thursday  morning.  9thinst.,  at  the  parsonage,  after  two 
days  and  a  half  of  severe  illness.     And  as  such  a  dispensa- 


J 


?74  NECROLOGY. 


tion  should,  at  all  times,  make  every  one  pause  and  reflect  on 
their  latter  end,  and  a  coming  judgment,  and  especially,  those 
■\vho  have  been  closely  and  intimately  connected  by  the  en- 
dearing relationship  of  pastor  and  people,  shepherd  and  flock, 
going  out  and  coming  in  together,  as  they  are  journeying 
through  this  fast  fading,  and  unsatisfying  world,  toward  that 
heavenly  inheritance,  incorruptible,  undefiled,  and  that  fadeth 
not  away.     Therefore  be  it  resolved. 

That  we  as  a  Church  and  congregation,  do  humble  ourselves 
in  the  dust,  mourning  over  our  sins  committed  against  a  holy 
pure  and  righteous  God,  and  our  great  neglect  in  following 
the  bright  and  godly  example  of  him  who  has  been  token  away 
from  us  ;  his  devotion  and  unexampled  prayerfulncss  not  on- 
ly for  his  own  flock,  but  for  all  Adam's  fallen  race — and 
praying  that  we  may  be  enabled  to  "consider  our  ways,  and 
live  more  in  the  discharge  of  the  duties  devolving  on 
the  professed  followers  of  the  meek  and  humble  Nazarene — 
Jesus  the  sinners  friend — so  that  God  would  have  mercy  on  us, 
and  turn  away  his  anger,  and  send  us  another  under  shepherd 
to  go  in  and  out  before  us,  breaking  unto  us  the  bread  of  eter- 
nal life,  and  that  he  would  be  our  God,  and  that  we  may  be  his 
people. 

Resolved,  That  we,as  a  church  and  congregation,  greatly  syra 
pathize  with  the  afflicted  and  bereaved  widow  of  our  departed 
Pastor,  praying  that  God  would  remember  her  and  the  fath- 
erless children  giving  to  her  all  the  comfort  and  consolation 
so  richly  promised  in  his  blessed  word  ;  and  that  he  would  be 
a  pillar  of  cloud  by  day,  and  a  pillar  of  fire  by  night,  to  guide 
and  guard  mother  and  children  as  they  journey  through  this 
wilderness  world, 

Resolved,  That  the  widow  of  our  beloved  pastor  be  furnish- 
ed with  a  copy  of  the  above  preamble  and  resolutions." 

We  now  come  to   the  estimate  his  own  fellow  Presbyters 
put  upon  him,  in  the  follovv^ing  Memorial : 


REV.    EDWIN    T.    WILLIAMS.  875 

MEMORIAL 
OF  EEV.  EDWIX  T.  WILLIAMS, 

Adopted  by  the  Presbytery  of  Florida,  April  13tli,  18G7. 

When  God  speaks  to  us  by  His  cliastiserrients,  it  is  fit  that 
we  submit,  and  bow  before  Him  in  deep  humility.  It  is  oui" 
pbice  to  hold  our  peace,  and  ponder  the  words  of  eternal 
truth,  W  hat  I  do  thou  knowest  not  now,  but  thou  shalt  know 
hereafter.  Truly  God's  Avays  are  not  our  ways,  nor  His 
thou2:hts  our  thoughts.  Had  we  taken  the  roll  of  the  Pres- 
bjtery  one  year  ago,  to  glance  over  its  names,  and  select 
those  who,  in  our  judgment,  would  most  probably  cross  the 
flood  first,  it  is  very  likely  that  brother  Williams  would  have 
been  among  the  last  thought  of.  To  all  human  appearance, 
he  would  have  been  left  to  record  our  departure,  not  we  to 
mourn  him.  He  was  cut  down  in  the  vigor  of  manhood, 
Avhile  he  was  bearing  the  burden  and  heat  of  the  day,  and 
apparently  indispensable  to  the  Church,  His  work,  how- 
ever, was  done,  his  mansion  was  ready,  and  the  Lord  took 
him  to  Himself. 

To  murmur  at  such  a  providence  would  be  to  commit  a 
great  sin.  Rather,  let  us  thank  God  for  the  gift  of  such  a 
man,  though  for  a  short  season,  to  his  struggling  Church, 
and  gird  ourselves  to  more  manly  efforts,  to  greater  diligence 
and  higher  aims,  that  we  may  be  ready  when  our  change 
cosQes. 

Those  who  knew  him  best  will  testify  that  while  he  en- 
joyed a  measure  of  faith,  which  few  attain,  he  was  at  times, 
sorely  troubled  by  the  enemy,  and  his  conflicts  were  fearful ; 
1  ut  he  knew  whom  he  believed,  the  Lord  was  his  stronix 
tower,  to  Him  he  fled  for  refuge,  by  prayer  and  supplica- 
tion, and  thus  he  triumphed,  and  became  renowned  for  his 
power  in  piayer. 

He  was  pre-eminently  a  man  of  prayer.  He  prayed  with- 
out ceasing  ;  by  the  wayside,  in  the  closet,  in  the  groves,  as 


370  NECROLOGY. 


well  as  in  tlic  sanctuary;  and  not  only  so,  but  he  agonized 
and  wrestled  before  his  God,  that  His  kingdom  might  be 
established,  not  only  in  his  own  heart,  but  in  the  hearts  of 
all  men. 

In  his  spirit  and  temper,  he  was  gentle,  pure  and  lovely  ; 
and  whether  he  moved  in  the  social  circle,  the  Presbytery, 
or  among  his  oAvn  flock,  he  was  alike  the  same  affectionate 
friend,  and  the  same  devoted  follower  of  Christ,  in  all  his 
thoughts,  words  and  actions.  So  entirely  was  he  absorbed 
in  the  realities  of  the  eternal  world,  that  the  glory  of  God 
and  the  good  of  man  were  his  meat  and  drink. 

As  a  minister  of  the  Gospel,  he  was  zealous,  able  and 
faithful.  None  who  knew  him  will  forget  his  tender  sympa- 
thy for  the  suffering,  his  forbearance  toward  the  erring,  and 
his  efforts  to  restore  them.  His  pulpit  exercises  were  al- 
ways sound,  solemn  and  impressive,  and  always  abounding 
in  Scripture  illustrations  suited  to  all  classes  of  men,  so  that 
saint  and  sinner  might  receive  their  own  portion  in  due 
season. 

His  scientific  and  theological  education  was  prosecuted 
and  finished  at  Princeton,  Avhere  his  mind  was  imbued  with 
the  spirit  of  missions,  and  early  in  his  ministry,  in  1853,  he 
was  sent  out  by  the  Board  to  Africa,  where  he  labored  with 
encouragement  for  several  years.  But,  in  the  providence  of 
God  he  was  compelled  to  return  to  his  native  land,  on  ac- 
count of  his  health,  which  was  much  impaired  by  diseases 
peculiar  to  that  benighted  land ;  and  though  he  wished,  and 
even  longed  to  return  to  his  station,  the  door  was  closed,  and 
he  was  never  permitted  to  carry  out  his  cheri-hed  hopes. 

Seeing  these  things  were  so,  he  was  led  to  accept  a  call  to 
<.^)uincy,  Florida,  where  he  was  much  beloved,  and  where  he 
labored  with  marked  success,  until  his  work  on  earth  wa< 
done.  He  fell  asleep  in  Jesus,  on  the  ninth  day  of  August. 
A.  D.  18G(*J,  in  the  fortytfifst  year  of  his  age. 

In  view  of  this  afilictive  provideace,  therefore, 


REV.    EDWIN   T.    WILLIAMS.  6i  i 

Mesolved,  1.  That  while  Ave  mourn  the  loss  of  our  co- 
laborer,  friend  and  brother,  we  yet  bow  submissively  to  the 
hand  that  has  afflicted  us,  knoAving  that  our  loss  is  his 
gain. 

Resolved,  2.  That  we  will  ever  cherish  his  memory,  and 
strive  to  imitate  his  example,  that  we  may  attain  to  a  like 
measure  of  faith  Avith  him. 

Resolved,  3.  That  Ave  deeply  sympathize  with  his  bereaved 
companion,  and  that  we  will  ever  remember  her  and  her  little 
ones  in  our  prayers,  committing  them  to  God  and  the  Avord 
of  His  grace. 

Resolved,  4.  That  the  stated  Clerk  of  this  Presbytery  be 
directed  to  furnish  his  family  with  a  copy  of  this  humble 
tribute  to  his  memory. 

By  order  of  Presbytery.     A  true  copy. 

A.  W.  Clisby,  Stated  Clerk. 

Mr.  Williams  left  two  children,  both  daughters,  who,  with 
their  mother,  reside  in  Savannahs 


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